


we all belong somewhere

by loonaloves



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, Soulmates AU, for the first time in forever in a loonaloves fic.. there is barely any angst, side character appearances of basically every other loona member, side yeorry jenrene and 2jin, so basically a fluffy hyewon series of them falling in love, triplet line are sisters and jenrene are their moms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23301565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonaloves/pseuds/loonaloves
Summary: Chaewon and Hyejoo meet, both in unfortunate emotional circumstances. After a heartbreak on Chaewon's part, she finds herself at the cliff where she watches the sky every day. On the fated day she meets quite the edgy girl, Hyejoo, she assumes an automatic disliking. It's only when the girl becomes vulnerable to her does she realize that they have some healing to do on both parts, so why not ease the ache alongside each other?
Relationships: Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Comments: 1
Kudos: 43





	1. clay

**Author's Note:**

> jesus fucking christ im bad at updates. quarantine will be a blessing to my readers tho bc ive been writing more so here u go, the highly requested sequel to serendipity following Chaewon (this can be read as a standalone tho) also first scene of this corny af but it had to start somewhere right

There was an 'us' in 'trust' for a reason. Chaewon looked up, staring at the great distance in front of her. Her heart clenched unwillingly. She couldn't stop thinking about her, the girl that had just broken her heart. Trust was something that needed an us, because you cannot have belief in somebody when they never placed their belief in you.

The feeling of knowing that you're not meant to be with someone. That's what hurt more than anything. Ever. Like you've taken a gunshot directly to your heart, except you have to live like that now— the hole in Chaewon's chest a metaphor as well as the incredible feeling that, she laughed, maybe it really was there. That maybe in this cruel world she was meant for nobody. Meant to be loveless. So maybe there was a hole in her chest that everyone else could see except Chaewon herself. Maybe they're scared of her, scared of her hollow love.

Her legs dangled freely, her eyes watching them sway in the open air. She was sat on a grassy little cliff, one that wasn't terrifyingly high up. The sun would only be up in the sky a few more minutes. She had to get home soon. Her mother will worry terribly. She sighed, chest heaving dramatically, knowing that she didn't want to leave this spot. Right now, it was the only place where she felt comforted. The park used to be one of those places too, but now it's just a place full of heartbreak and sorrow.

She should have known better than to fall for someone she wasn't meant to be with. She should have known better than to give her heart up after explicitly saying that she would never give it to someone other than her soulmate. Karma came back hard at Chaewon. The ache in her heart was the price she had to pay.

She stopped focusing on thoughts about her. She stopped thinking about their times shared, now thinking about who it is she'll fall for next. If it's possible to fall for anyone in this world, even someone who's not your soulmate, then surely it was bound to have happened before. Surely someone's been the same fool as Chaewon, found themselves stuck in the same dilemma. So she wonders, who will it be next? Who does she mistakenly give her heart to? Who does she give her all for in return for nothing?

The sun honeyed the skin of her lower body, the light hanging low in the sky now. Chaewon laid her upper body flat on the grass, still letting her legs sway in those same, slow circles. Her hands lay right on her beating heart, and she wanted to smile at the fact that it was still working. A broken heart, perhaps, was still fixable, like all broken things.

But she feared, while her heart may heal, will it be usable again? To tear her heart in two and let the pieces float away in the wind, the certainty of it restitching itself was unlikely to follow. While time allows it, she will let the pieces of her heart roam. She will let them soak in everything they need until they meet and collide again, with new and different memories to reminisce on that diverge from the typical sob story scenes of a recent rejection. With new stories and new chances to live, new chances to fall in love ensue. That, the gift of a healed heart, is the only thing Chaewon could ask for now.

It's been long enough that she doesn't cry upon memories anymore. It just stings, so badly. The thought of her face, of her laugh, her voice— it all made Chaewon want to throw up because her heart simply couldn't bear it. Then to see her in the arms of another...

Chaewon closed her eyes and recollected her breath, gathering her sanity before she broke again. Her hands shot up, away from her heart, to rub at her eyes, as if it would wash away all the thoughts of that girl. Then, she felt a relatively small, hard object hit the top of her head, causing her brows to scrunch and an "Ow!" to escape her mouth. She let go of her eyes to sit up straight and rub the area of pain. "Who—?"

"Oh, shit," Chaewon heard from quite a distance away, followed by frantic footsteps running her way. "Oh _crap_ , ugh, god, uh— y-you're okay, right?" Chaewon looked up at the girl who now stood before her. Her eyes carried something akin to worry, but chances were she wasn't afraid to get in trouble or get scolded by Chaewon. Chaewon's eyes fell down onto her outfit, which she could make out only slightly, because it was all black against the dark background— black sweater, black skirt, black leggings, black boots... The only thing that wasn't black was the shiny silver chain on her skirt. She could tell the girl was a delinquent, someone to avoid.

"I'm fine," Chaewon replied dully. She looked at the girl's face. Her lips were almost triangular, her eyebrows perfectly straight. She had eyes that bored into Chaewon's soul, but also puffy cheeks that betrayed her edgy character. "Don't go around throwing rocks," Chaewon grumbled.

She heard the girl laugh, a sound that only spurred on Chaewon's anger. Why couldn't she just mope in peace?! "I didn't throw it," she responded, putting her hands on her hips. Her skirt chain jingled as she did so.

"Is that so? Then how do you suppose I got hit in the head by a rock?" Chaewon challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"It wasn't a rock." Suddenly, she bent down, feeling around in the grass for the object she proceeded to pick up, showing it off to Chaewon. "It's a clay heart."

 _How fitting_ , Chaewon groaned internally. She just wished this girl would go away. "You still threw something at me either way."

"I actually kicked it, so," the girl replied, throwing the heart up high and catching it, repeating the action multiple times.

"That doesn't justify why it hit me, jerk." Chaewon stood up, but the girl was taller and more intimidating than her— especially considering Chaewon's cute pink dress beneath her fuzzy tan coat. She blushed in embarrassment as she realized that she wasn't going to be scaring off the girl any time soon.

"Jerk, huh?" the girl repeated, shaking her head and looking down for just a second before meeting Chaewon's eyes again. She let out a breath before licking her lips and speaking. "Alright. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just mad. I shouldn't have kicked this."

Chaewon scrunched her eyebrows and crossed her arms, not ready to accept the angsty girl's apology. "Okay. Then you can leave and let me be." Chaewon turned and sat back down before listening to whatever it was the girl had to say in response.

The girl grumbled something beneath her breath and continued throwing and catching the little clay heart. Chaewon was so tired of her presence but didn't know how to make her leave without starting a fight. A minute must have passed before the girl started again, "'S not just your hill, y'know..."

The statement was so grumbly and quiet that Chaewon barely made it out, but understood exactly what she was getting at. She wanted to laugh at the fact that the girl sounded butthurt, almost like Chaewon defeated her. "Funny... I don't see anyone else at it?"

"I'm here!" she whined. "I'm at it!"

"Wow, you're more childish than you look," Chaewon pointed out.

"Whatever." The girl dug her nail into the clay heart until it broke in half. Chaewon gasped at her antics, unsure how she ticked her off so much as to make her break her little figure.

"Geez," Chaewon emitted, watching the girl let one half of the broken heart slip out of her hands. She heard it as it fell onto the grass, but she couldn't see it due to the night sky. "Why are you even here anyway?" she asked, but to no response. "Why are you still near me?" She asked, face distorted in something like disgust until she looked up at the girl's face. Her eyes were screwed shut, a tear streaming slowly down her puffy cheek. Her head was held down, and her hand was clutched at her chest. Chaewon's mouth dropped open to apologize for being too harsh, but before she did, the girl began to speak.

"I'm here because I don't know where else to go... everywhere else reminds me of..." she didn't finish her sentence, cut off by a short onset of silent tears. Guilt panged at Chaewon's chest, urging her to and making her get up and console the girl. She grabbed gently onto the girl's shoulders and looked sorrowfully at her face, waiting for her to open her eyes so she could sincerely apologize. She watched the girl's lip tremble before words left her lips again. "Yeah."

Chaewon's brows met in confusion, her hand brushing down the girl's arm comfortingly. "Who?" she asked. The girl stayed quiet, swallowing thickly. Chaewon brushed some hair away from the girl's face, being as soft as possible. "Who does it remind you of?" she pried, even though she knows she shouldn't.

The girl licked her lips, then let her head fall onto Chaewon's shoulder, knees giving out. Chaewon wrapped her arms around her as they both dropped to kneel on the grass. "My grandmother." It was the tone and shakiness of her voice that let Chaewon know exactly what she meant.

"Oh... gosh... I'm sorry," she said, suddenly feeling bad for being so dramatic over a girl who she wasn't even dating not being interested in her. "That... must be tough. I'm sorry."

She felt the girl nod. "Everywhere I go. I'm reminded of her." She fiddled with the half of the heart she still had in her hand. "I made her that heart when I was six. It's hers. But I took it back."

"Why?" Chaewon asked. The girl pulled out of Chaewon's arms and used her sleeve to wipe at her tears.

"I was mad at her for leaving. For making me feel so pathetic," she answered. "It's been two months. Even my moms are over it now," she laughed hollowly. "I was for a few days, too... but then it hit me again. I should get over it."

"No. She meant a lot to you, you're allowed to be upset for however long you need," Chaewon consoled. "But you'll be okay eventually. It just takes time." She grabbed onto the girl's hands, fitting them nicely into her own. She still felt bad for being so rude to her earlier. The least she could do was help her through this hard time. "What's your name?" she asked, looking at her expectantly. "I'm Chaewon."

"Hi, Chaewon." The girl smiled, a tight line, but Chaewon could see it was genuine. "My name is Hyejoo."

"Hyejoo," Chaewon repeated, nodding. "Hyejoo, I'll be here for you. And if you ever need to talk... I'm here every day. At the cliff."

Hyejoo nodded, then turned to face the vast starry sky. Chaewon did the same. She knew that her parents would kill her when she returned home for being out so late, but the moment Hyejoo laid her head on her shoulder, she knew it would be okay.

\---

It was only nine at night when Chaewon got home, but it was already so dark she couldn't see in front of her when she walked. The warm summer nights were patiently awaited by Chaewon, especially when the chill of spring still whipped past her every now and then. The trees rustled in the breeze that came by every now and then, sometimes shaking off a leaf that was just beginning to bloom to its fullest. She jogged up her porch steps and pulled her jacket sleeve down to prevent her palm from making contact with the cool metal of her doorknob. She sighed at the rush of warmth welcoming her as soon as she stepped inside her home, shutting the door behind her quickly so no cool air made its way into the house.

She shrugged off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack, moving slowly up the stairs to not make a sound and wake up potentially sleeping parents. The less questions to answer, the better. She made her way to her bedroom and shut the door, turning on her Hello Kitty lava lamp and jumping backwards onto her bed, waiting for sleep to overcome her. She smiled when she noticed that for once, her heart wasn't in pain, tormented by memories as she closed her eyes. Perhaps it was finding out that people still wanted to talk to her. She found out she was still approachable, and not the heartbroken girl everyone wanted to avoid.

It was the best she slept in weeks.

\---

" _Chae_." It was the incessant poking at her cheek that woke her up. " _Chaeeeee_. I have something for you."

"What do you want, Junho?" Chaewon asked, her voice raspy and grumbled, making it obvious that she had just been awakened.

Junho laughed in that giggly tone only a small child could produce. "It's a surPRISE!" he exclaimed at the last moment, getting closer to Chaewon's face and exploding into smiles and cheers. "It's so cool, Wonnie, please please _pleeease_ come see?"

Chaewon sighed, moving her head to face away from her brother. "Ten more minutes." She heard Junho hum in approval, as if he had any clue on how to track time. He sat on her bed as she closed her eyes and tried her best to let sleep overtake her again, but Junho wouldn't stop singing his stupidly annoying and the worst kind of catchy song from his kindergarten class.

"Junho," Chaewon warned without even opening her eyes, knowing her point got across when he stopped singing. Peace was only momentary, because next thing she knew, Junho was throwing himself on top of her like a second blanket, wrapping his limbs around her body like a koala to a tree. " _Ughhh_ ," Chaewon groaned, but made no move to push him off, only because she knows he'll cry.

"Um, Chaewon, has it been ten minutes?" he asked impatiently.

"No... not yet..." Chaewon said, half-asleep once again.

"Oh." Junho moved so he could be in Chaewon's arms, adjusting the blanket on top of himself. Chaewon knows that many people would die for a younger brother like him, but to her, dealing with this definitely was not anything like fun. She backed away from him and opened her eyes to look right at him.

"Go hug mom and dad, Junie," Chaewon advised, feeling herself awaken faster now. Her eyes have completely adjusted to the light at this point, and they were no longer drooping in search of some shuteye. She groaned and pulled the blanket off her body, sitting up and tying her hair into a ponytail with the hair tie she always carries on her wrist.

"Can I show you now?" Junho asked, perking up.

Chaewon looked over at him, knowing that he wouldn't quite understand from her looks alone that she was not enthused, meaning she didn't have to change her facial expression and hurt her face by fake smiling for the next ten minutes. "Sure. What is it?" Junho took Chaewon's much larger hand into his own and pulled on it to get Chaewon out of her bed. He kept it in his hand as he ran across the hallway into his room.

"Okay, close your eyes," Junho said, and Chaewon could hear as he opened the door super slowly, hearing how he stepped on paper as he entered his room. It was always so messy, something that Chaewon couldn't stand. "Come in," he whispered to Chaewon, and Chaewon let her eyes open as she stepped into her little brother's room.

She looked at Junho, not understanding what she should be looking at. When he motioned for her to turn around though, she wished she hadn't.

"Oh. My. God." Chaewon blinked her eyes, trying to see if her vision was fooling her or if Junho really had just scribbled all over the pure white wall in bright red and green crayons. "Junho," Chaewon whispered, eyes wide as she turned and kneeled down to be face-to-face with him. She held onto both his wrists in semi-tight grips, not enough to hurt, but enough for him to know she's not messing around. "Wash that off before mom and dad wake up. Now." She let go of her brother standing up and rubbing away an incoming headache. "Oh, Junho. You are... something."

"You don't like it?" she heard from behind her. She looked at him again, seeing his back turned to her, arms crossed over his chest.

"I..." Chaewon's voice was stuck in her throat, cautious of any sort of fit he could make right now. "Please, just clean it."

He huffed, stomping his foot on the ground to get his point across. "No! Mama and Papa will like it."

"Ohhh, no. No, they won't. They definitely, most _certainly_ , won't. C'mon, clean it up before they see it, they'll be so mad," Chaewon rushed.

"No," Junho refused, stomping his foot again.

"Junho, clean the fucking—"

"WaaaaAAAAAHHH!!" he suddenly shouted, running over to the wall coloring it more.

"JUNHO!" Chaewon yelled, pulling him away by the waist, feeling him kick around. "Stop it, now!" she whisper-shouted. "You're being—" she hissed when Junho dig his nails into her arms, trying to pry them off of his body— "a fucking _brat_!" she spat out, wanting more than anything to scratch him back, but knowing she really shouldn't, considering their age gap and the obvious strength advantage she has over him. She turned him away from the wall and watched him throw the crayon across the room. His wailing increased in pitch as he tried even harder to break free from Chaewon's grip, reaching back to tug at her hair.

"What the fuck is all that noise?!" Chaewon's father came into the room, voice stern and booming over Junho's cries. Immediately, Junho let go of Chaewon's hair and Chaewon released her hold on Junho. They both looked down at the carpet, waiting for their father to scold them. Chaewon knew it was going to be her who gets the worst of it, though. She looked up and saw him staring at Junho's artwork on the wall, mouth agape.

"Papa," Junho called, syllables leaving his lips slow and unsure. Chaewon didn't have to look over at him to know he was giving his father the best pout he could manage. "Please don't be mad at me, Papa..."

Their father opened and closed his mouth, like he was searching for his words but not sure how to say them. He looked back at Chaewon, then the wall again. Chaewon winced as she saw her father look back at Chaewon with a wrinkle between his eyebrows, jaw clenched.

"Why did you let him do this?" he asked, motioning to the wall. Chaewon saw Junho relax a little from her peripheral once he put the blame on her. What a piece of shit.

"I-I..." she started, words getting stuck in her throat. She turned to face Junho, but he refused to look her way. In fact, his gaze was completely focused on the exact opposite direction she was. Chaewon sighed and gathered a large breath, praying for the strength she needed to resist starting a massive fight right now. "Dad." Her eyes fell on her father, trying to convey the absolute truth in them without having to say it. He should know. If Chaewon said what she wanted to out loud, Junho would make up a story.

"You what?" he asked, not letting her get out the easy way. She shook her head, standing up and off the floor.

"Why would I ever let him do that? He did that while I was sleeping!" she defended, trying to keep her voice quiet enough so that Junho wouldn't hear and deny it. Her dad raised his eyebrows, as if to ask "Really?", and Chaewon nodded. "I swear."

He hummed in consideration. "I'm going to work now. No more stupid stuff, okay?" he said, pointing at both of his children. "And keep him in control," he directed Chaewon, to which she nodded.

"I will," she promised. She looked over to the wall, acknowledging the mess one more time, thinking of how she could make Junho clean it. Her gaze flew back to her father. "It'll be clean when you come home."

He stared at her, considering her words for a minute, before letting out a heavy exhale through his nose and turning around, walking away without another word. Chaewon let out the breath she was holding in, turning back around to face Junho, who looked guilty as ever. She wanted to laugh, but more so, she didn't want to be the one cleaning up his mess.

"You know what I'm gonna say," Chaewon began, looking him straight in the eye. He looked like he was going to cry. She toughened her posture, trying to make it seem like she wouldn't fall victim to Junho just because of his tears. "Clean it up."

He had two reactions from here, and Chaewon feared both of them: he could, one, start screaming again in protest of Chaewon's commands, or two, could be a brat and give her an attitude until she literally forced him to clean up.

She doesn't know which one would be easier to deal with.

He stood up, giving Chaewon a glare, but walked towards the wall he drew all over reluctantly. He crossed his arms, but there was yet to be any sighting of overly dramatic reactions. This was good.

"I'll go get you a wet cloth, and you rub it on the wall until the color is all gone," Chaewon instructed, and Junho humphed. She left the room and let out a sigh of relief, walking down the hall and into the bathroom to get a facecloth. She turned on the faucet and let the cloth soak in all the water it could, squeezing it out just enough for it to stop dripping. When she returned to his room, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh my god..." she groaned, rolling her eyes and throwing her head back in annoyance. "Junho!" she yelled, waiting for his return. She held back every bit of anger manifesting itself inside of her and exhaled slowly through her nose. If her parents saw her lose it on Junho, then that would surely be the end of her living in that house. With a newfound calmness, she began her stride down the hall and into her own room. She bent to look under her bed, beneath her desk, in her closet, even in her laundry basket, but to no avail. Sighing, she began her search in her parents' room, where her mom was still sound asleep. She peeked in and left, feeling less patient now and growing frustrated again. She squeezed the cloth she still held so tight that the water began dripping down her wrists, flowing over her soulmate mark.

"Junho, if you don't come here right now, you're fucking dead!" She threatened, not loud enough to wake her mother up, but still alert anyone who is not unconscious. She waited a few seconds, already knowing she'd be met with nothing, until trying again. "JUNHO," she called louder this time. She didn't want to have to scare him into getting things done, but it was getting difficult not to at this point. She stood at the top of the staircase, waiting there for a minute, crease between her eyebrows as she anticipated his arrival. Of course, nothing.

She sighed, "I'll give you some money?" Immediately, she heard footsteps emerging from her side. She swung her head to the side and watched him skip up to her, a smile adorning his small face.

"Really?" he asked, eyes twinkling. She laughed, looking into them, face softening.

"Absolutely not," she answered, grabbing onto his wrist and walking them over to his room as Junho struggled in her grasp. She closed the door behind her, leaning her back against it so he was forced to stay in. She held out her arm, offering the cloth to him. "Take it," she motioned when he didn't get the hint.

"No!" he exclaimed, crossing his arms. Chaewon gathered her breath, closing her eyes and shaking her head. One of these days, she'll have to move out from getting too annoyed by him.

She moved closer to him, forcing the cloth into his hands and grasping onto it with him, bringing his arm gently towards the wall. She directed their hands onto the mess of Crayola crayons decorating the wall in horrendous scribbles and applied enough pressure for it to come off with a scrub. "See? Now, keep doing that until the crayon's all gone."

She left her hand and sat beside her brother as he continued wiping at the wall through silent tears. She didn't even know cleaning could be this terrifying for someone until her brother was born. He looked over his shoulder at her from time to time, letting her know that he was crying and most likely trying to guilt her into doing the task for him. She sees through him every time, though.

It probably took him the better half of an hour to get it off the wall entirely. She let out a sigh of relief when he finished, finally standing up again. "Now was that so hard, you freaking brat?" she said, crossing her arms and staring down at him. His only response was the throw of the now colored red and green face cloth at Chaewon's stomach. She left the damp, dirty cloth on his carpet and left his room, making sure to slam his door extra hard on her way out.

Unfortunately for her, her mother was _just_ coming out of her room, at the perfect standing point to see her antics.

"Okay. Explain to me what that was all about," her mother demanded, staring right at her so that there was no escape.

"Uhh. Well," she stammered, knowing her response would not be appreciated by her mother. "He was being—"

"I don't care what he was being, he's six!" she exclaimed, waving her hands out in front of her incredulously. "Pete's sake, Chaewon. You are so much older than him. Please." Her eyes weren't angry, but she did see the way that she pleaded for her to be reasonable in them. Chaewon sighed.

"Fine," she relented. "I'm gonna go to the cliff now." She needed some fresh air, and space away from this house, at that. This was the first time in a while she didn't go because she was upset about a love that couldn't be. But she didn't even notice.

"Ah ah ah, Wonnie," her mother called after her. "Put on some closed-toe shoes and a jacket before you even think of doing that." Her mom nodded towards Chaewon's feet, covered by her pink slides. "And I told you not to wear those in the house anyway! No shoes in the home!"

Chaewon's mouth fell open, looking out the window and pointing her whole arm towards it. "Mom! Do you not see that?! It's so sunny outside, I'll burn to death with a jacket on!" No matter how hard she tried reasoning, she knew that her mother's word would always be attended. Her mother refuses to lose.

"You can't go until I see a proper outfit on you," her mom finalized. Chaewon groaned exaggeratedly and spun on her heels, rolling her eyes when her back was turned so her mother couldn't see.

If she had to wear a jacket, she was going to wear the thinnest one she had, which was pretty much sheer. Beneath that was a white tee shirt tucked into a pink skirt. She looked over at her selection of shoes and slipped her feet into the first pair of sneakers she found. She didn't bother looking in her mirror because she knew that she would end up spending too long on deciding which hairstyle was best for her outfit, so with that, she left her room again, noticing her mother still standing there, like she was waiting the whole time. Her mother's eyes scanned down Chaewon's body.

"So much leg's showing," she said. "You don't want to wear pants?"

"I'll be fine, Mom," Chaewon answered, sighing. Any more clothes added to the outfit and she'd die of heatstroke when stepping outside.

"It's not even summer, yet," her mom pointed out.

"It will be soon!" Chaewon replied. And thank god when it does.

"Okay. Go now," her mom allowed, turning back around to go back in her room. Chaewon grinned and ran down the stairs, throwing open the door and beginning her travel to the cliff she always went to.

\---

It's noon, and normally, at this time, Hyejoo would be in calculus, stressing over a problem she knows she can't solve without asking her smarter classmates or teacher a thousand questions as well as a demonstration on how derivatives of functions are supposed to be found again. Ever since dropping out, though, her weekday noons have been filled with listening to sad songs and sometimes crying over them or her grandmother. Hyunjin is gone at work most of the time, and Yerim is home calling Yeojin in her room across the hall from Hyejoo's. Yerim would be completing her last few weeks of school, but, being the pride of the family name and the only one in her grade who took advantage of advanced placement classes, she was able to graduate last year. It is a fact that she never fails to bring up every time someone tries calling her stupid or any synonym of the word.

Besides that, though— it's noon, and she's never outside of home at this time. Today, though, she finds herself walking towards the same place she found herself yesterday, where she met that girl named Chaewon, who smells like berry shampoo and has a nice shoulder for Hyejoo to lean her head on. She probably wouldn't be here this early, but maybe she was. She said she goes to this cliff every day, so technically she isn't dumb for thinking she'd be there. She liked the idea of having someone outside of her family to talk to. She hasn't talked to many people since she dropped out of school.

Hyejoo walked through the grass for a short while, itching the skin of her feet because her sandals didn't cover them too well, until she saw the silhouette of the black-haired girl sitting at the edge of the cliff. Smiling, she quickened her steps until she was almost running and announced her presence with a quick call of Chaewon's name. Chaewon's body turned towards Hyejoo, waving to her as she registered who she was.

"Hi," Chaewon greeted when Hyejoo sat herself down beside her. Hyejoo made sure to leave a modest amount of space between them.

"Hey," Hyejoo replied. They looked at each other for a second, waiting for a conversation to start. A stiff awkwardness invaded the air between them as they both stared expectantly at the other to start talking. When they recognized that a conversation wasn't going to naturally occur, they both turned their heads to look off into the sky.

Hyejoo kicked her feet around in the open air, staring at the slow-moving clouds blocking out the spring sun. She wondered how long it would take before one of them talked. Or maybe Chaewon just wasn't in the mood to talk today. Could Hyejoo have made a bad impression yesterday? _Okay, no, wait— stop thinking_. Hyejoo exhaled and closed her eyes, letting the spring breeze blow calmly around her.

Hyejoo contemplated leaving now before it got more awkward. She didn't assume that she would adjust to sitting in silence for elongated periods of time. She only thought that she'd found a new friend, and that they would hang out today, but as the silence between them persisted by the minute, she figured that maybe it was a lost cause.

Okay, maybe she would have to be the one to start talking if she didn't want this maybe-friendship to slip from her hands. She faced Chaewon and smiled to seem amiable.

"Hey. What's your favorite kind of music?" Hyejoo asked. That was a simple question with a simple answer, and never sounds awkward for introduction. Plus, it strikes up conversation well, especially if Hyejoo likes the same kind.

Chaewon's head spun to turn to Hyejoo. "Oh. I listen to everything," she answered. Hyejoo nodded and hummed. Well... there wasn't much to get from that.

Okay, another question. This one should have a definite answer. "What about your favorite song?"

"Umm," Chaewon started, pitch getting higher at the end as if it were a question. "I don't really have one." Hyejoo sighed. God damnit. Prying actual answers from this girl was going to be difficult.

"Okay. Well, you said you come here every day, right?" Hyejoo attempted, pulling at anything to keep the two from drowning in silence once again. She should have never talked in the first place, because when it goes quiet again, it will feel way more stiff.

"Yeah," Chaewon answered with a nod.

"Why?" Hyejoo questioned, carrying genuine interest in wanting to know more about Chaewon.

"Just about a girl, I guess," she replied, looking back at the sky. Hyejoo decided to give up here. Chaewon was probably just being nice yesterday when she offered her company to Hyejoo. She looked down at her lap and nodded at Chaewon's answer, continuing to watch her fingers twiddle against each other.

Hyejoo brushed her hair back behind her ear, looking around at the empty field, then down at the rocks at the end of the cliff. She needed something to feed her boredom, because otherwise sitting here would become intolerable. She wondered what Chaewon was thinking right now, and how she managed to stray boredom away every time she came here to just sit at the edge of a cliff and stare at the sky. Maybe she was still thinking about that girl. Maybe she needed some time still.

"Um, Chaewon, I'm going to go now," Hyejoo announced, looking at Chaewon. Chaewon stared back at her with wide eyes, flicking across Hyejoo's entire figure as if she hasn't seen it yet today. Hyejoo threw Chaewon a forced, tight-lipped smile to not seem bitchy before getting up and brushing off her sweatpants. "I'll see you tomorrow, maybe?"

Chaewon smiled at that, and Hyejoo's mouth nearly dropped open because she wasn't expecting such a sight. She looked so kind now. Hyejoo should have just stayed longer and gotten to know her better.

"Alright, Hyejoo," Chaewon said. She brought up her hand and waved. Hyejoo took note of how cute and soft Chaewon's hands looked. Hyejoo smiled, this time being real, as if it had taken over her face on its own.

"Bye," Hyejoo said, starting to step away backwards, so that she was still facing Chaewon.

Chaewon laughed, a quiet, shy sound, before her eyes bugged out animatedly as she watched Hyejoo back up. "Wait, Hyejoo— the tree!"

"What tree?" Famous last words.

Suddenly, Hyejoo got the wind knocked out of her as she backed up at full walking speed into a thick, wide tree. "OH, Jesus fuck!" Hyejoo shouted, toppling over and reaching her hand around herself to pat at her back. She could faintly make out Chaewon losing it over her curses of pain. She looked up to see Chaewon's eyes closed, both hands wrapped around her stomach as her body leaned forward.

Chaewon's head leaned back as her laughter became a silent cackle, and Hyejoo feared that she was going to piss herself from laughing at this point. Still, she couldn't help but giggle a little with her. "What's so funny about me getting hurt?" Hyejoo asked, mock offense lacing her voice. Chaewon opened her eyes, still laughing and unable to get words out as she shook her head. "I almost met god, that hurt so bad."

Chaewon burst into another fit of laughter, holding herself upright by digging her palms into the ground. "Hyejoo, you're," she started, but couldn't finish. Hyejoo was laughing a bit more at Chaewon now.

"I'm what?" she asked, waiting for Chaewon to finish. Her smile was so large that it hurt her face, but it couldn't be worse than how bad Chaewon's stomach must be hurting from all her cackling.

"Just a little stupid," Chaewon finished, voice thin through her laughter.

"Hey!" Hyejoo shouted. "I just don't know my surroundings yet!"

Chaewon recollected herself, wiping at her eyes and nodding at Hyejoo's words. "Okay. One day you'll map your way around here," she replied, small giggles escaping her lips from time to time. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hyejoo. Now watch where you're going."

Hyejoo laughed at that. "Until tomorrow," she goodbyed, turning around and walking down the grassy field until she was back on the road. Since she lived in a fairly small town, she didn't have to worry about any cars running her over, especially not on a dead end street like this. A large grin never slipped from her face the entire walk back home. Somehow, she's glad she bumped into that tree. Things would be less awkward between them now.

Her back still hurts like a bitch though.

She continued her walk until she approached her home, opening the door, which was never locked, and letting herself in. She walked herself into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, because after that walk, she desperately needed it. Her mouth was also insanely dry from laughing so much.

"Whatchu been up to, Miss Smiley-pants?" Hyejoo's mom asked, walking up to Hyejoo as she opened the fridge. She felt her arms wrap around her waist as she tried pulling her in for a hug. Hyejoo was too dehydrated to tell her to get off of her.

"Just seeing a friend," Hyejoo answered, grabbing a water bottle and untwisting the cap with so much urgency that when it opened, some water splashed onto the ground. She disregarded it, taking large gulps of the water until her throat was no longer dry and scratchy.

"Oh, who? Someone from school?" she asked. Hyejoo capped the water and closed the fridge, escaping her mom's hug to walk over to the table, placing her water in front of her. She leaned into the back of the chair and closed her eyes.

"No, haven't seen anyone from school since dropping out," she answered. She opened her eyes when her mom didn't respond, because she knew that she would be staring incredulously at her. When she met her eyes, which carried the exact look she thought they would, she waited for her mom to say anything else, because Hyejoo herself had nothing more to elaborate on.

"Why not? You need to keep these friendships, you know. I still talk to some of their parents, I can arrange something if you want," her mother offered, to which Hyejoo grimaced.

"No, don't do that, seriously..." Hyejoo rejected, shaking her head. She took another sip of her water. "I'm okay with just leaving them in the past. They were high school friends. Now I'll make real life friends. Adult friends."

"Hyejoo," her mother called in that mother voice. "I met your mom in high school, you know."

"The thing is, my school is infected with straight girls, so finding one of them to wife me would be difficult."

Hyejoo's mom laughed, patting Hyejoo on the shoulder. "Hyejoo, you're too funny."

"Okay, but I'm not lying," Hyejoo responded, looking up at her mom, then at the basement door when it opened to reveal her other mom.

"Jennie, help me put these groceries away," Hyejoo's mom who just came in asked. She hauled the bags over to the middle of the kitchen and plopped them onto the floor. Jennie rushed over to her wife to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"Sweetie, I was just telling Hyejoo that she should stay connected with her high school friends, don't you think?" Jennie asked, holding her hand out to point to said daughter. Hyejoo rolled her eyes, causing her mom to laugh. "Joohyun, really! Tell her!"

"Hyejoo, I don't blame you. I didn't like the girls from your school either," Joohyun agreed, making Hyejoo laugh. Hyejoo got up from her seat to help her moms put food into their appropriate places. She smiled as she pulled a box of Cosmic Brownies from one of the grocery bags.

"Yes, I love these things!" Hyejoo laughed, placing the box on the counter with intent to eat them after putting some things away.

"I don't think so, Hyejoo," Jennie said, grabbing the box and putting it on the top shelf of the last cabinet, meaning that it was a Forbidden Food. Hyejoo's jaw dropped, staring at her mom wordlessly, letting the offense in her eyes speak for itself. "You'll have to eat real food first," Jennie said.

"I'm not helping you guys anymore," Hyejoo said, running away to her room before her mom could call her back. She passed Yerim's room quicker than the others after noting that she brought Yeojin home today. She didn't want to get involved in their shenanigans right now. Her room was all the way down the hall, the furthest from Yerim's room and closest to Hyunjin's. She came to an abrupt stop once she saw Hyunjin there, sitting on the edge of her bed, texting someone.

"Hyunjin, get out of my room!" Hyejoo exclaimed, grunting as she moved past the doorframe and to her desk. She pulled out her rather uncomfortable, hard, wooden desk chair and waited for her sister to stop laughing and start finding her way out.

"I wanted to show you something," Hyunjin said. Hyejoo's back remained turned towards her, though. "Look, it's cute!"

When Hyejoo gave in and turned around, Hyunjin was already shoving her phone into her face. "Oh my god, how bright do you need that thing?" Hyejoo muttered, shutting her eyes tight at the onslaught of brightness brought upon them.

"Sorry I can't read shit if it's dimmed all the way," Hyunjin said, voice oozing with sarcasm. She brought her phone back to herself and fidgeted with it for a few seconds before turning it back to Hyejoo. "There, that better?"

"Yes." Hyejoo took the phone from Hyunjin's hands and looked at the picture being displayed on it. "What the fuck is this supposed to be? A hand?" Hyejoo asked, making a scowl as she tried to figure out the meaning behind the picture. All it displayed was a woman's hand with short nails bare of polish and a few pieces of jewelry on her fingers and wrist. She looked at Hyunjin as she waited for her answer.

"You remember me telling you about Jiwoo from work, right?" Hyunjin asked. Hyejoo nodded, so she continued, "And Sooyoung?"

"I don't know either of them, but you have told me about them dating I think?" Hyejoo mentioned, still puzzled as to how any of this carries relevance towards information Hyejoo must know.

"That's Jiwoo's hand! They got engaged!" Hyunjin cheered with a wide smile on her face. Hyejoo's face remained stone.

"So they got engaged during Jiwoo's shift?" Hyejoo asked, raising an eyebrow. That seems pretty unconventional. Not exactly romantic, either.

Hyunjin dismissed the question with a quick shake of her head 'no'. "That would be... less than thrilling. They got engaged last night at a cute little pavilion in a park. They posted some pictures on Facebook, wanna see?" It seemed like Hyejoo wouldn't have a choice as to whether or not she'd see them, because Hyunjin already pulled back her phone and started pressing buttons and scrolling down in search of the pictures. "Isn't that ring cute, though?"

Hyejoo shrugged. "I mean, it's fine. Grandma had one just like that, except hers was probably more expensive and the jewel was bigger." Hyunjin looked up from her phone to give Hyejoo a pointed look. "Tell me I lied." Hyunjin only shakes her head in disappointment as she finally found the pictures. Both girls were smiling so hard that their cheeks squished up towards their eyes, and the one with bangs clung tightly onto the taller one's waist. Whoever took the picture did a horrible job, because the flash made the tall one's eyes look red, and the picture wasn't all the way focused. It was night, so you couldn't see anything besides them and the grass they stood on. Hyejoo hummed at the picture, before looking away from it to notify Hyunjin that she was done observing.

"It's really cute. Do you think Heejin's gonna propose to me like this?" Hyunjin asked with a laugh at the end. Hyejoo laughed hard at that.

"I think Heejin thinks that you're gonna be the one to propose," Hyejoo said.

"Maybe, but I don't really wanna get married soon anyway," Hyunjin responded. "Do I seem like someone who'll be a wife right now?"

"You seem like someone who asks stupid questions," Hyejoo answered, turning back in her desk chair to locate her notebook, which used to be her world literature notebook, but is now used for random doodles or blurbs. If she's feeling edgy, then you could also spot a dramatic retelling of her day or emotions. She now has to open the notebook from the back, because there's too many pages to flip through if she opened it from the front.

Hyejoo chuckled when she felt a hit against the back of her head hard enough to make it jolt forward. "At least I have someone to wife me," Hyunjin spat, getting off of Hyejoo's bed and walking towards the door, ready to leave after Hyejoo wraps up the conversation.

"I don't want someone to wife me, I wanna live my life on my own," Hyejoo corrected, looking up from her nonsensical doodling to look at Hyunjin, then back at her paper.

"You'll understand soon enough," Hyunjin sighed.

"Pfft," Hyejoo dismissed, a laugh escaping her lips. "I'll call you the day _that_ happens!"

"You say that as if you'll never fall in love," Hyunjin said. Hyejoo wanted Hyunjin to leave before she started going off on tangents about how wonderful life has been ever since she met Heejin.

"And if I don't?" Hyejoo asked.

"You have a soulmate mark for a reason, y'know," Hyunjin pointed out, tapping her wrist where her mark was. "Every couple does."

"I will not be able to sleep at night if I find out who my soulmate is, Hyunjin. And not in a good way."

"You'll be fine. Yeojin's great to Yerim, and Heejin's wonderful to me," Hyunjin reasoned.

"Is this where you start talking about how happy you are because of Heejin?" Hyejoo asked rhetorically.

"No. I'm just saying, one day, you'll find the one, too," Hyunjin said, turning around to make her way out of the room. When Hyejoo heard her door close again, she released all the air she was holding in her lungs, letting her pencil fall onto her paper. Her sketches will have to wait until tomorrow to see the light of day again.

With a final close of her notebook, Hyejoo leaves her desk to sink into her bed, her face planted into her pillow, wondering if she could sleep like this. She stays there until the world fades out and sleep overtakes her, snoring into her pillow and probably getting drool all over it. Oh well. She'll deal with that whenever she wakes up.

\---

Hyejoo woke up surrounded by the absence of light, so much so that she couldn't see a thing when she opened her eyes. She sighed in realization that her sleep schedule would now be fucked for the next few days. She sat up with a push from her arms, which were weaker than usual due to just waking up, and blinked a few times to drain the sleepiness from her head. She basked in the silence of her home, considering there are very few moments in which

a) Yerim, and Yeojin, if she's over, isn't talking at the loudest volume she could muster,

b) her moms aren't ranting to each other about the parents they hate in the PTA,

or c) someone is wrecking the home by deciding that they are a master chef.

The last one mostly goes for Hyunjin when she comes home from work. Hyejoo could almost smell the smoke and burnt pastries.

Deciding she needed a drink, Hyejoo left the comfort of her bed and trudged her way into the kitchen, slapping her hand about the wall until she found the light switch, which temporarily blinded her for thirty seconds. Hyejoo opened the fridge and looked at her half-drank water bottle, knowing that her mom definitely put it there. She reached out to grab it before her eyes caught the presence of the strawberry Ramuné, just begging for her to chug it all down.

It was most likely Yerim's. _But_ , technically, she didn't make any efforts to warn Hyejoo about not drinking it, and therefore Hyejoo couldn't know for sure if she wasn't allowed to (though, yes, she knows for sure she isn't allowed to). Forgoing the water bottle route, she grabbed the Ramuné and pushed the clear marble at the top into the bottle, satisfied with the fizz following the pop. Closing the fridge, Hyejoo shut off the light and began walking back towards her room as she sipped from the bottle.

She definitely wasn't going to get any sleep at this point, so she didn't bother trying to after finishing her drink. She checked the time on her phone, surprised to see that it was only 9pm. Before she could start to think about why everyone was so quiet at a time where Yerim would definitely still be shouting, she heard the front door to her house open. Luckily, Hyejoo left her door open, so she could hear everything that happened after that.

"She _is_ a hard worker, though," she heard her mom, Jennie, say. Then she heard the sound of her other mom groaning exasperatedly.

"Yes, I know," Joohyun started. "But I still can't imagine that someone in this town could have that much money. How come she doesn't live in the city?"

"I don't want her to!" Yerim exclaimed. So that's why Hyejoo couldn't hear Yerim; it's because she wasn't home. "If Haseul moves then that means Yeojin moves!" Hyejoo realized that they just came home from dropping Yeojin back off at home at this.

It's quiet after that except for sounds of cabinets opening and closing, and then Hyejoo hears a dramatic gasp. "What the hell!" Yerim complained. "My Ramuné!"

"What?" Joohyun asked. Hyejoo bit her tongue as she continued listening.

"I just _know_ that it was Hyejoo, oh my god..." she heard Yerim grunt. A few seconds later, she heard furious stomping towards her room.

Immediately, Hyejoo threw herself under her covers and pretended to be asleep. Her door was already open, but Yerim slammed the door wider nonetheless.

"HYE— o-oh." Hyejoo winced at Yerim's loud voice at first, but calmed when she went back to normal. She couldn't hear anything, so she assumed that Yerim was either staring at her to try to figure out if she was actually asleep at 9pm, or she was looking around her room in search for the Ramuné bottle. Luckily, Hyejoo's room was a mess, and since Hyejoo left the bottle beside her bed, behind a pile of useless textbooks. Yerim wouldn't be able to see it from where she was standing. When she heard Yerim leave, plus a few more seconds of waiting, just to be safe, she opened her eyes and made sure that she was gone.

Hyejoo grabbed her phone and mindlessly played Subway Surfer, listening to Yerim talk with her moms. When Subway Surfer got boring, Hyejoo plugged in her headphones, shuffling her music playlist and letting it play while she closed her eyes, waiting to either sleep or relax.

\---

"So you're just gonna SLEEP through this?!" Only because of Yerim's shout did Hyejoo wake up. Immediately after opening her eyes, she was hit in the face by a rubber bouncy ball.

"Oh— what the fuck?" Hyejoo jolted upright, rubbing her face for a second before grabbing the ball and lunging it at Yerim.

Before it could hit her, Yerim stepped to the side and picked it up from where it landed on the floor. She laughed when Hyejoo whined, then placed the ball in her sweatshirt pocket.

"Did you wanna come with Hyunjin and I to the mall?" Yerim asked, sitting on Hyejoo's desk.

"Get your dirty ass off my desk," Hyejoo ordered, but all Yerim did was laugh. "And no, I have other plans."

"Like?" Yerim asked, waiting for a response. Hyejoo kept her eyes set away from Yerim, but when she looked back, Yerim was raising her eyebrows in question.

"Why do you wanna know so bad?" Hyejoo asked back, laying back down on her bed and unlocking her phone. She shut off the playlist that was still playing and opened her social media apps, in case anyone bothered to message her.

"You got a girlfriend or something?" Yerim questioned, getting off Hyejoo's desk to look at what Hyejoo was doing on your phone. "Are you texting her right now?"

Hyejoo held her phone to her chest, glaring at Yerim, but she definitely already saw what she was doing because she was laughing at her as if she did something stupid.

"You're tweeting to Nicki Minaj? You think she's gonna read it?"

"No, but my followers will," Hyejoo declared, pushing Yerim's head away and continuing to type on her phone.

"All three of them," Yerim said, throwing the rubber ball against the carpet as if it would bounce off of it like it would a hardwood floor. She left it on the carpet when it didn't bounce high enough for her to grab it.

"I have two thousand followers, actually," Hyejoo pointed out, looking over at Yerim before bringing her attention back to her phone.

"And yet none of them interact with you," Yerim said with a fake frown.

"Shut up," Hyejoo said. "You have a big pimple on your face."

"You have a big ugly on your face," Yerim replied.

"What does that even mean?" Hyejoo asked, still staring at her phone.

"It means you're ugly," Yerim explained, picking her rubber ball back up to throw it against the wall and catch it like that. Hyejoo didn't reply, but started laughing like a maniac when Yerim didn't catch the ball, causing it to hit her hard in the face.

"If you get a black eye I'm gonna pee myself," Hyejoo announced through her laughter. Yerim gave Hyejoo the finger. They were both quiet for a few minutes as Hyejoo went on her phone again, scrolling about her Twitter timeline until she remembered Chaewon and the cliff.

She hurled the blanket off of herself, which caused Yerim to jump, as if she was snapped back to reality. Hyejoo threw on a black tee shirt and looked at herself in the mirror, contemplating whether or not she should brush her hair. Through the mirror, she made eye contact with Yerim, who was staring at her like she had two heads.

"So you're not going to explain the sudden rush to go somewhere?" Yerim asked, arms crossed. Hyejoo looked at Yerim for another second before grabbing her brush and quickly going over her hair. Should she bother trying to look good? Chaewon might not even care. It wasn't like they were going on a date or anything, it was just another hangout at the cliff. Two friends being friendly. Were they even friends yet?

"Uh hello?" Yerim called, waving a hand in front of her to summon Hyejoo's attention. "Earth to dumb bitch?"

"At this point I will pay you to shut up," Hyejoo whined, turning around to finally face Yerim. She held her brush limply in her hand, raising an eyebrow at her sister. "What?"

"Where are you going?" Yerim asked, plopping herself onto Hyejoo's bed. Hyejoo groaned, rolling her eyes as she swatted Yerim's knee with her brush.

"Why are you so curious?" Hyejoo asked back. They stared at each other for a solid ten seconds before the puzzle pieces started connecting in Yerim's head.

"Are you getting food?" she asked, smiling like she won the lottery. Hyejoo had to stop herself from laughing at Yerim's false sense of victory. "Well, I know you have no bitches, so that leaves us with... you're going out to get food! Don't know why you're dressing yourself up, but—"

And Hyejoo tunes her out from there. She turned back around to brush out the rest of her hair and secure some bobby pins into it. She looks down at her outfit to make sure she doesn't have any stains on her clothes. While her head is down, Yerim throws the rubber ball from earlier at the back of it. Hyejoo furrowed her eyebrows, facing Yerim, waiting for her explanation.

"I asked you a question," Yerim said. Hyejoo sighed, grabbing her phone and shoving it into the pocket in her sweatpants.

"Which was..?" Hyejoo asked, sliding on her sneakers which were once white, but now somewhat dirty and stained with dirt at the sides.

"Can you get me some food while you're out?" Hyejoo studied Yerim for a minute, deciding whether or not she should pay her back. She did drink her strawberry Ramuné, to be fair...

"Aren't you going to the mall with Hyunjin? Get some food there." Yerim frowned at that.

"But there's no way Hyunjin's gonna buy me anything! Do you know her?!" Yerim exclaimed, spreading out her arms in desperation. "Where are you going?"

Hyejoo didn't hesitate for a second. "Subway. And their subs are expensive, so no sub for you."

"Bitch, their everything is expensive! Their cookies are, like, a dollar a piece!" Yerim said. Hyejoo grabbed her wallet from inside her desk drawer and shoved it in the same pocket as her phone was in, listening to Yerim continue her rant. Hyejoo opened her door, ready to leave, but— "Hey! I'm talking to you, don't leave yet!"

Hyejoo groaned, then sat on her dresser and leaned her head on her hand as she listened (but not really) to Yerim. She just wanted to get this over with and see Chaewon. Needing to get out of the conversation quickly, Hyejoo thought of any possible thing to get her out of there.

"Oh my god I just shit myself," Hyejoo interrupted through Yerim's rant on fast food places overpricing singular cookies. Yerim's eyes went wide, her mouth dropped in horror.

"H-huh..? What?" Yerim carefully asked, watching Hyejoo get up from the dresser and back away towards the door.

"I have to go," Hyejoo said, turning around and sprinting out of her room and into the foyer, grabbing her mom's sweatshirt that had her school's logo on it and running out the door.

She was almost at their meeting place when she caught sight of Chaewon, a fair distance ahead of her. She probably didn't plan on seeing Hyejoo so soon. God, good thing Hyejoo didn't come earlier and look like a fucking loser waiting for Chaewon to arrive. She made a mental note to never go to the cliff before ten in the morning. Hyejoo paused in her steps, waiting for Chaewon to walk further and further out of sight, because what if Chaewon saw her? Would she think that Hyejoo's some weird stalker? Of course Hyejoo isn't— they're just friends, kind of— obviously. Hyejoo looked down, sliding from foot to foot, swaying from side to side, not wanting to look up in case Chaewon saw her miraculously.

When Hyejoo finally looked up, Chaewon was out of sight. Releasing a sigh of relief, Hyejoo continued onward. She thought for a second about if Chaewon actually liked her or not. She didn't seem entertained yesterday when Hyejoo tried making conversation. Maybe she only pitied her, and didn't actually want to offer her companionship. But Hyejoo's grandmother would love to see her with a girl like Chaewon. She loved cute girls. And Chaewon was pretty cute.

Well, like, in a friendly way! Chaewon had a cute personality. She seemed helpful and kind enough. Ugh. Why is Hyejoo being like this? She wanted to slap herself. Okay. She kept walking and forced every thought out of her head until she reached the cliff. She stilled again when she saw Chaewon, sat at the edge with her back towards her. Hyejoo could run away now and she'd never notice. Maybe it was better if she did? In case Chaewon doesn't actually like her, that is. But if she does, then would she be sad that Hyejoo wasn't there? Was she anticipating her arrival? Hyejoo couldn't imagine that. She looked down at her shoes, bundling up some grass beneath them, probably stepping on a hundred tiny insects. Poor little guys. Hyejoo wondered if feeling sorry for stepping on bugs was weird or not.

"Are you gonna come sit, or what?" Chaewon asked, making Hyejoo whip her head up and stare wide-eyed at Chaewon. She hoped that there was no blush on her cheeks. She still felt so awkward. She forced herself to pick up her feet, walking up until she was sitting next to Chaewon. "Bump into anything on your way here?" Chaewon joked.

Hyejoo looked up, alarmed, praying that Chaewon didn't happen to catch sight of her when she was walking to the cliff. It wasn't like she was stalking her or anything, it's just that the timing was so, _so_ bad. Or maybe it wasn't, maybe she's just overthinking this whole thing. It's perfectly normal to run into someone if you are going to the same place, unknowingly at the same time. "Uh—"

"You know. Like, trees?" Chaewon laughed, looking at the sky, then back into Hyejoo's eyes. "Yesterday, remember?"

Hyejoo reminded herself to wipe that stupid panicked look off of her face. She must've looked high, or something. Like she just committed a crime. Everything was okay now. _Just be normal, Hyejoo, oh my god_. She smiled, nodding. "Why'd you have to remind me about that..." Hyejoo said. She's glad she did, though. She knows that their friendship isn't just some faux thing crafted by Chaewon's pity. She genuinely enjoys Hyejoo. Or at least her pain. She'll take it nonetheless.

"No biggie. I went home and crashed into my little brother, so. We just don't like watching our surroundings, I guess," Chaewon said. Hyejoo grinned at that, knowing she can make casual conversation now. She didn't want to seem weird, but considering that Chaewon is pretty much the first person she's talked to in real life besides her family after dropping out, it seems like her social skills have gone down in the dumps.

"Your little brother, geez. How'd he react?" Hyejoo asked. "I only have older sisters, but they'd both slap me in the face if I even accidentally caused them pain."

Chaewon laughed. Hyejoo accepted that as a victory, knowing that she is still capable of making people laugh when she's no longer in her class clown position. "He just fell on his ass and looked up at me, demanding me to say sorry," Chaewon answered.

"I wouldn't apologize to my sisters even if a gun was pointed at me. I have too much pride for that," Hyejoo said. Chaewon nodded and pointed at her in understanding.

"Which is exactly why I walked away without a word. He's only six though, so... yeah. I guess he has an excuse to be childish." Chaewon wore a fluffy pink jacket, which kept getting little fuzz balls flying in Hyejoo's direction every time the wind blew a little too hard. As Hyejoo worked on swatting one off her lap, Chaewon continued, "My parents always want me to treat him like a prince, though. It's unbelievably obvious that he's their favorite." Chaewon laughed at that, and at first, Hyejoo was scared if the laugh was one of bitterness towards her parents, but realized that it was sweet and melodic— a laugh that wasn't bitter or hollow at all. A laugh that made Hyejoo smile, too.

"Yeah. My parents' favorite is totally Yerim. I think I used to be one of my moms' favorites, but after Yerim graduated early with high honor rolls for every semester of every year in high school... I was knocked right off that favorite spot."

Chaewon nodded. "One of your mom's favorites? She had multiple?"

Hyejoo laughed. "No. One of my moms' favorites, as in one of the two of my moms."

Chaewon turned completely towards Hyejoo, her raised eyebrows comical to Hyejoo. She had to resist laughing at her face. "You have two moms?"

"Yeah. No boys in my house at all," Hyejoo confirmed.

"God, I wish I were you," Chaewon groaned. "Two boys in the house is a headache and a half."

"I can imagine," Hyejoo said. Truly, she is so thankful she doesn't have any brothers. "There'd be so much mess in the house... My mom would go insane."

"Which one?"

"The clean freak one." Hyejoo looked at Chaewon and laughed.

"So you don't call them different names? Like, is one mama and the other mommy?" Chaewon asked, making Hyejoo shake her head with a smile.

"No, they're both just 'mom' to me," she answered. Chaewon hummed. It was quiet for a few seconds as Chaewon processed that.

"Huh. Then who responds to you when you say 'mom'?" Chaewon asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Neither of them," Hyejoo said, looking Chaewon dead in the eye. Chaewon nodded.

"Couldn't relate if I tried. My parents are yelling up to me saying 'huh?' even if I didn't talk to them at all," Chaewon said. Hyejoo laughed at that. Her family dynamic was so different from Hyejoo's.

"Well, one of my parents are too caught up in their parent teacher association activities to keep up with us like that, and the other is out working half the time, so..."

Chaewon hummed in understanding, nodding. "My parents didn't partake in any school activities when I was in school, so yeah."

"Damn. Mine inserted themselves into every event they possibly could," Hyejoo said, laughing. It truly was weird how different they were. She thought again about how they came together just because of some fit Hyejoo threw over her grandmother's death. She felt her face heat up at the memory. She embarrassed herself pretty bad with that one. And there's probably no way that Chaewon's ever forgetting it. And if her grandma happened to be looking down and watching her, she would definitely be pointing and laughing at her. But she liked that about her grandma— she made moments like that funny and humorous instead of humiliating. She really wished she was still here. She loved the spring weather. Hyejoo would walk with her to this cliff if she could.

She shook her head of those thoughts, remembering that she was still, in fact, sitting right next to Chaewon, and that she could not risk crying no matter what. But it was too late, because when she looked at Chaewon, she could tell that she noticed the emotion on her face.

"You okay?" Chaewon asked. Hyejoo sighed internally. Yes, she's fine. No, she doesn't need help... just lessons on how to stop embarrassing herself every time she gets the chance.

"Just thinking about my grandma. I'm fine though. Seriously," Hyejoo said as convincingly as she could. She didn't want Chaewon to start pitying her again, or to treat her like some fragile object like everyone else did when she got a little sensitive over this. Chaewon only nodded though, then looked back at the sky. They were quiet for a minute as Hyejoo had to physically resist slapping herself in the face. Bunching up grass in her fists seemed to be a good coping mechanism for the moment.

"I've never had anyone in my family die. I wish I could give you some good advice," Chaewon said, her voice quieter than before, like she was afraid to trigger Hyejoo. Hyejoo couldn't stop herself from groaning this time. Why do people always treat her so carefully after touching on this topic? It's not even a big deal. It's not even important anymore. Hyejoo should be over it by now anyway, and when people react like _this_ — that's not helping her toughen up at all.

"Seriously, Chaewon. I'm okay," Hyejoo assured. "This isn't me trying to avoid reaching out or anything. I'm just genuinely not affected by it right now. Don't tiptoe around me. Really." She looked into Chaewon's eyes to solidify this into her head further. Chaewon's eyes searched Hyejoo's for a minute before looking away. She probably decided that Hyejoo was telling the truth, that she shouldn't worry. Hyejoo felt her face clear up of that emotion and she wanted to make normal conversation with Chaewon again. "Besides, I think I'm big and strong and cool enough to face those problems on my own."

Chaewon laughed a little. "But you're not rational and smart enough," she said. Hyejoo looked at her, mouth open in offense. "Not like Yerim, at least." Hyejoo would've seriously elbowed her if they were closer friends.

"Wow. I think I'm gonna leave just cause you said that," Hyejoo announced, making Chaewon smile at her. Chaewon grabbed Hyejoo's arm, as if coaxing her to stay. How was Hyejoo supposed to say no to that? She didn't plan on leaving, anyways.

"Don't worry. Who's even rational _and_ smart these days?" Chaewon asked. When Hyejoo felt Chaewon's grip on her arm loosen, she leaned back, hands beneath her head as she laid down. Chaewon followed, and Hyejoo looked over at her with a smile. She met her eyes, somehow smiling even wider at the look in them.

"Losers," Hyejoo answered through her grin. Chaewon chuckled, closing her eyes for a second before turning back to look at the sky. Hyejoo did the same. The clouds were still moving fast, and the sky was still the bright blue that it was when she first arrived.

"Yeah." Hyejoo heard Chaewon say. "Losers."


	2. The Brightest Star

Hyejoo was still beaming a blinding smile after getting home. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, staring in front of her as she caught her breath. She ran all the way home, too excited to get on her phone to text Chaewon after she gave Hyejoo her number. She promised Chaewon that she'd text her when she got home.

"Oh, you're home," her mother, Jennie, said, a higher pitch in her tone indicating her mild surprise. "I thought you were going to be out longer."

Hyejoo looked over at her mother, flashing a small smile as if it was a good enough response. She looked back at her feet as she walked to her bedroom, not even closing the door when she entered. Immediately, Hyejoo jumped on her bed and unlocked her phone, already grinning at the screen. Anticipation coursed through her veins, making her itch to text her newfound friend.

She stared at the keyboard, wondering how exactly she should start. Maybe it was best to keep it simple— a small _hello_ could suffice...

_No..._ Hyejoo backspaced the greeting away until she was back at zero. Staring at the screen, she wondered what would sound nice. She should come off welcoming and friendly, try to let Chaewon know that she was going to be a great friend. _Gah_ , maybe she's just overthinking this all! _Just... type something!_ she yelled at herself internally, exhaling as she let her fingers take control, shutting her brain off for a moment.

_Hyejoo: hey_

See? That wasn't so ha—

_Hyejoo: um this is hyejoo, by the way_

_Hyejoo: this is chaewon, right?_

Hyejoo didn't know if it was better to stop typing or keep clarifying. She should have just left it at hey...

_Hyejoo: sorry if it's the wrong number_

_Hyejoo: text me when u can? :)_

Was the smiley face too much? Chaewon is technically the first friend Hyejoo made outside of school, and the only person outside of her family she talks to. Was she being weird? They've only talked on three different days, and one of them was just arguing. Oh, no, she's coming off too strong, isn't she? She should fix this.

Right as she was about to embarrass herself further by texting yet another string of blurbs to Chaewon, the light in her room turned on. She looked up, and until then, she didn't notice how the sun was beginning to set. She must have spent a much larger fraction of the day with Chaewon than she remembered. She met her mother, Joohyun's eyes and held her stare in question. When she didn't respond, Hyejoo took it upon herself to start.

"Um... do you want something?" Hyejoo placed her phone beside her on the bed, giving her mom all of her attention. Her mom laughed, a delicate, girly sound, contrasting to the cool, boyish posture of hers: leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"Yeah, Mom and I are making cookies, are you gonna help?" Joohyun asked.

Hyejoo hummed. She blinked at her mom, smiling out of the blue. "Do I have a choice?" Hyejoo expected it when her mom said no. "'Kay. I'll be in the kitchen in a minute."

"Great," her mom responded, smiling at her. She left after, leaving Hyejoo's light on. Hyejoo swung her body to the side of the bed, making it so that her feet were touching the carpet. She looked out the window, seeing the sun starting the descend more, painting the sky in shades of pink, lacking the heated oranges of a summer sunset, reminding her that spring has still yet to pass. It was certainly getting warmer, though. Summer would be starting soon, and she'd soon be watching the orange sunsets until the navy blue night sky took over.

Hyejoo only seemed to like sunsets when clouds were there. It made them look like cotton candy. She's said that ever since she was a kid, but it's true. She smiled, something soft and sweet that decorated her face like the finest details to a portrait, before standing up and drawing her attention away from the sky. She tended to get lost in the view sometimes; her window offered a magnificent view of the sky, where beneath it lies an open field of grass, where dandelions grow every now and then, with trees bordering each side of the sky in Hyejoo's view. She wondered for a moment if the view of the sunset is just as pretty at the cliff.

"Hyejoo?" Joohyun calles from the kitchen, bringing Hyejoo completely back to her senses. She blinked, snapping her head away from the window again.

"Coming!" she shouted back, tying her hair up quickly and walking over to the kitchen, shutting her room's light off as she left. Her bare feet padded against the floor until they came to a stop, where she found Yerim laughing and talking to her phone beside her mother Jennie, who was mixing together dry ingredients. In front of those two was Hyejoo's mom Joohyun, staring at Hyejoo expectantly, as if she had a task to get to right away.

"What should I do?" Hyejoo asked, stepping closer to the three of them. Yerim began talking to her phone again, and Hyejoo decided that she was definitely calling Yeojin. Jennie looked completely focused on her mixing, not looking up at Hyejoo once.

Joohyun began, "Could you go to the store for me and buy some milk? We're almost out and we'll need it for the cookies." She smiled at Hyejoo. "Quickly?" she added, more nice than stern.

"Yeah, I can. I'll be back in a few minutes," Hyejoo agreed. She lived not far away from the grocery store; it was a fairly short drive, and Hyejoo was only allowed to drive short distances. She guessed that Hyunjin would have been the first option, but since she's either at work or with Heejin, she was out of the question.

Hyejoo made her way to the front door, sliding on comfortable shoes and grabbing the car keys that hung on one of the coat hangers. She put on a cap in case the night was windy, then left to the car.

\---

"Wonnie," Junho called, tugging on Chaewon's shirt. She was sat at her desk, counting up the money that she had. She wanted, one day, to have enough money to pay for dance and vocal lessons. She ignored her brother and continued whispering the amount of won she moved from her hand to the desk. She had always been dutiful, just not so much in school, before she dropped out. Tasks like these, Chaewon was better at. Where she wasn't forced in a room with a bunch of people she didn't talk to, ordered you complete a task in a limited amount of time. She learned from dropping out that she worked much better under free will.

As the last of the money left her hands, she sank into her chair with a sigh. Grabbing a pen from her pen jar, she scribbled on the piece of paper the amount of won she counted. She wanted to be sure she had plenty of money to pay off any debts she may come across.

A sigh escaped her lips as she placed the pen flat onto the desk. She turned her head to look at her younger brother. Instantly, he smiled at her, backing up a few steps as if he suddenly cared about her personal space.

"Can we play?" he asked. Before Chaewon could reply, he was jumping onto her bed, hopping and laughing as the blanket scrunched up with each bounce. Chaewon's jaw dropped, unbelieving of his juvenile antics. Given, he was only a kid, so things like that were expected of him, but it didn't mean Chaewon appreciated it.

"Junho, you're messing up my bed!" she exclaimed, getting out of her chair to try and collect Junho into her arms.

"Can't catch me!" Junho laughed, a consistent sound throughout his bouncing. Suddenly, he stopped, pointing at Chaewon. "You're the evil witch and I'm the hero, okay?"

Chaewon couldn't say anything before Junho jumped off her bed, running out of her room and into the hallway. Thankfully, their parents weren't home to see any of Junho's behavior, but if they were, it would be over for Chaewon. She has a lot of responsibility when it comes to him. She was expected to be the one to keep him under control.

Chaewon followed him into the hallway, not exactly enthusiastically, but doing enough to keep him entertained. Every time he looked back at her, she put her hands up as if they had claws, like a threat to his hero persona. Junho screamed every time he returned his vision forward and picked up his pace a little more, but since his legs were so short, he wasn't fast. That meant Chaewon had to walk slowly behind him, placing one step forward for every few steps he took.

Once they entered his room, Junho picked up a toy lightsaber, which he got for his birthday the year prior. It was broken, though, so it couldn't light up anymore, but it didn't stop him from using it every day. He swung it near her, grinning.

"Stay back!" he yelled. "Don't hurt anyone!"

Chaewon laughed, a sound she couldn't hold in despite trying. It was easy to play along with him sometimes, because his childish smiles and laughter were truly contagious. "I'll get you, and then everyone else in this town!"

He poked Chaewon in the stomach with the lightsaber, then waited a moment. When Chaewon didn't give the reaction he wanted, he whispered, "You're supposed to die!"

Upon hearing that, Chaewon dramatically collapsed to the ground, holding the spot on her stomach where she was supposed to be stabbed. She groaned in fake pain and had to stop herself from smiling when Junho laughed.

"Heroes always win!" he said, pointing the lightsaber at her. "That's why I killed you!"

Chaewon pretended to die then, turning so her face laid near the floor, body limp. Junho poked her some more, and Chaewon gave an exaggerated noise of pain for each one, and although she was supposed to be dead, Junho thought it was hilarious.

After a minute, Chaewon picked herself up, smiling at Junho. "Alright, no more play time today, okay?" she said, looking out his window at the almost set sun. "You should go to sleep. We'll play again tomorrow."

As Chaewon expected, she was met with whines. "Why do you get to stay up?! It's not fair!" he cried, looking up at her.

"Because I'm older than you and you need more sleep than me," she reasoned, picking him up and sitting him on his bed. He didn't throw his limbs at her, but he did cross his arms and pout when Chaewon pulled back. "Hey. Don't be like that. It's already really late, Junho. Mom and Dad will be home soon, and they'll get mad at me if you're awake."

"So?" he asked.

"Oh, you want them to be mad at me?" Chaewon faked a frown, hand over her heart like she was hurt. He was quiet for a few seconds.

"...No," he whispered, looking away from her.

Chaewon smiled, moving closer to him again. She made him lay down and she tucked him in. "So go to sleep, okay?" She patted his stomach, which was now under the blanket. He nodded. Chaewon moved to the wall to turn his nightlight on and looked back at him. "Goodnight, Junho."

He looked at her with those wide eyes of his, the part of his face that made him look as little as he is. "Goodnight."

Chaewon smiled and shut his door, walking down the hallway to get to her own room. After she settled into her blankets on her bed, she grabbed her phone off of her nightstand.

_5 new message notifications_

She hummed, unlocking her phone to check the messages.

_Unknown number:  
hey  
um this is hyejoo, by the way  
this is chaewon, right?  
sorry if it's the wrong number  
text me when u can? :) _

Chaewon laughed, smiling as her fingers tapped across the screen for her response.

_Chaewon: Hi_

_Chaewon: This is Chaewon_

She stared at her phone for a few minutes, waiting to see if Hyejoo would reply quickly. Glancing at the time displayed at the top of her phone, she realized that she was probably asleep by now, with it being almost eleven at night. Chaewon dropped her phone back onto her nightstand and laid on her side, grabbing onto one of her many Kirby plush toys that she kept on her bed. Holding the round soft toy in her arms, she let herself fall asleep.

\---

Hyunjin, of course, came home right on time to not do anything to help with the cookies besides eating them. Hyejoo held in the complaints rising in her throat only because she was busy chomping down her raisin oatmeal cookie. She did manage, though, to give Hyunjin a dirty glare, which made her pettiness clear enough.

"What the hell? Why raisin? Oatmeal raisin?" Hyunjin complained, brows furrowed and mouth pulled at the sides in disgust. She held the top of one between her index finger and thumb as if she was scared of touching the whole thing. She turned to face her mom, placing her glare upon her.

"What? Are you not thankful?" Jennie asked.

"Mom, I was just working for eight hours, and when you texted me that there'd be cookies at home I didn't stop to buy dinner so I could save my appetite..." Her words made Hyejoo laugh, a small chunk of chewed up cookie almost flying onto Yerim, who was sitting across from her, who also promptly screamed after it nearly landed on her arm.

"EW!" she exclaimed, backing her chair away from the table and staring at the chewed up cookie. "You clean that up!" Yerim demanded, pointing at the monstrosity. Hyejoo swallowed what remained in her mouth and picked up the napkin that laid unused beside her plate, bringing it over to Yerim's spot and scooping up the glob. "That's so gross," Yerim groaned.

"Would you eat it for ten thousand won?" Hyejoo asked as she bit into the next cookie.

Yerim glared at her. "No."

"Yes you would," Hyejoo said. Hyunjin came up to the two and pulled out a chair, sitting next to Hyejoo. She brought only a glass of milk with her. She leaned on her hand with a sad expression.

"What happened?" Yerim asked, frowning.

"I fucking hate raisins," Hyunjin answered. She took a sip of her milk, wiping away the residue above her lip as she placed the glass back down.

"Imagine being so butthurt about raisin cookies," Hyejoo muttered through her full mouth.

Hyunjin turned her head towards Hyejoo. "Did you hear what I said to Mom?" she asked.

"Yeah, but a cookie is a cookie, y'know?"

"Would you eat a tuna fish cookie then? Since a cookie is just a cookie?" Hyunjin asked.

"Yeah, if I was hungry enough," Hyejoo answered.

"You're so weird," Hyunjin sighed, shaking her head and focusing on Yerim. "How do you like raisin cookies?"

Yerim shrugged. "They're not my favorite but I'll still eat them."

Behind the three, Jennie and Joohyun leaned against the counter, eating the cookies with smiles on their faces. They watched their daughters argue, shaking their heads every now and then.

"They'll find anything to fight about," Jennie said, laughing. Joohyun turned her head towards Jennie, watching her bright smile.

"Every sibling does that in every house," Joohyun responded, kissing Jennie's cheek because she couldn't help it. "It's part of being a family."

Jennie nodded and looked back at the three. "I love them."

Hyejoo looked down at the last cookie on her plate. Then, looking at her moms, she stood up and grabbed her cookie walking over to where they stood at the counter.

"Can you give me a plastic bag?" Hyejoo asked. "I'm gonna save this for tomorrow."

"Sure," Jennie said, turning to grab a bag from the box. "There you go."

Hyejoo took the bag from her and placed the cookie inside, smiling at her mom after doing so. "Thanks!"

Hyejoo ran to her room, placing the cookie on her desk for tomorrow. Sitting on her bed, she picked up her phone to check her notifications, grinning when she saw that Chaewon texted her back.

_Chaewon:_  
Hi  
This is Chaewon 

Her heart picking up was something she couldn't explain, and she found herself wondering what to say next. It was so late, though, Chaewon was probably asleep...

_yay!_ she typed, staring at her phone and deciding if she should really send it. It comes off so weird! She shouldn't send it, she decided, erasing the message entirely and putting her phone back down. She'll text her tomorrow. Yeah. She shouldn't text her at twelve in the morning. That's weird. She should just go to sleep.

_Unless..._

_Hyejoo: we should see each other in the morning_

\---

Hyejoo finds out pretty quickly that she really likes seeing Chaewon.

At school, she had a lot of friends, but she was never close with any of them and only talked to them in school. They never even texted each other; she didn't even talk to any of them since dropping out. She's never found something comforting in any of them.

With Chaewon, though, Hyejoo knows that she's a friend. She knows because she was so quick to offer Hyejoo her help to get her mind off of her grandmother. She knows because of the way they laughed and joked with each other the previous day at the cliff. She knows because she finds a friend in her, and there's no better way to describe it. She knows Chaewon will be there for her.

They've only been friends for, what, three days? The thought came to Hyejoo as she walked to the cliff, the path almost familiar. She wondered if Chaewon trusted Hyejoo as much as Hyejoo trusted her. Hopefully. If she could see Hyejoo in the same light... Hyejoo makes the thought stop, because of course, she does. If Chaewon didn't like her then she wouldn't go see her like this every day.

She wouldn't be waiting for Hyejoo by the cliff already. Hyejoo smiled as she spotted her, legs adopting a quicker pace in order to sit next to her sooner. Her hands held onto the plastic bag inside her sweatshirt pocket a little tighter. When Hyejoo was close, Chaewon turned towards her, recognizing her immediately and smiling.

"Hey, you," Chaewon greeted. She patted the grass next to her and Hyejoo sat down on the spot soon after. She looked out at the sky for a moment, but paid more attention to Chaewon's eyes as she started talking. "What time did you fall asleep last night?"

"Huh?" Hyejoo emitted, creasing her brows.

"You texted me at like, midnight," Chaewon explained, tilting her head a little, making her smile seem a little lopsided. It was cute, in a way.

"Oh." Hyejoo could play off the blush taking over her face by looking away at that moment, but she didn't. She chose to keep watching Chaewon instead. "Well, I fell asleep really soon after. Actually, pretty much immediately after. I was exhausted."

Chaewon laughed, a sound Hyejoo really liked hearing. It was pure; it ranged in volume, but Hyejoo tended to favor the ones like these where they were a little louder, more hearty, where she brings her head back for a second before putting her attention back on Hyejoo. Hyejoo was grinning without even knowing. Chaewon brushed her hair behind her ears. Then, she brought her hand down on the grass in the space between her and Hyejoo, using it to lean forward a bit. Paying more attention to Hyejoo.

"What could have exhausted you that much?" Chaewon asked.

Hyejoo laughed for a second. "All the walking I did yesterday. Also sitting at the dinner table with my sisters."

\---

Chaewon raised an eyebrow, smile still on her face. She wondered if Hyejoo knew the amount of chaos that having a boy toddler in the house brought. If she was exhausted from her sisters, Hyejoo should try living in Chaewon's house for a day.

"Same here. My brother likes to play around a lot. Lots of Jedi stuff, also Legos, car toys, Marvel heroes... Last night I was a witch, did you know that?" Chaewon giggled. She watched Hyejoo smile at that with a grin on her own face.

"It must be fun having a really young sibling. The closest I have to that is Yeojin, and she's not even my sister. Or a toddler. Whatsoever."

"Meh. It gets really annoying at times, but it's nice too. Y'know, to feel like a child again." Chaewon looked forward, at the clouds slowly moving in the sky. "It makes me feel closer to my childhood than I actually am, I guess."

She could see Hyejoo nod in her peripheral vision. "Yeah, I get it. Growing up and all," Hyejoo said, words slower than normal, almost careful.

Chaewon watched a cloud cover up the sun, making the world a little dimmer than it once was. "You're scared of growing up?" She turned to face Hyejoo as she asked the question. She watched Hyejoo purse her lips before she answered.

Hyejoo shrugged. "In some ways. In the long run, I know I'll be fine, so I don't worry about it," she answered. Chaewon hummed, taking in her perspective. "Plus, my childhood is behind me anyway. I'm practically an adult."

Chaewon saw how sure Hyejoo was of her answer, how her face didn't falter once. She wondered how other people could be so strong in letting their childishness go. Chaewon clung onto as much of it as she could. She felt almost immature for doing so now.

"I just think that the happiest years of my life were when I was a child. So it's hard to let that go," Chaewon explained. Hyejoo's eyes looked sad, like she was sympathizing with her.

"I get it. I think mine were too. I look back on those memories a lot." They both shared that in common. Chaewon always thought about her most fond childhood memories. She fears that she's already experienced the best moments of her life, and everything from here would be gloomy or dull in comparison.

"I guess that's why so many parents live vicariously through their kids," Chaewon laughed for a second.

"Tell me about it," Hyejoo sighed. "I feel like my moms do that sometimes."

"I think at some point every parent does," Chaewon said. "I can't remember how my parents did it, but I mean, for sure they have before."

Hyejoo groaned, "PTA moms do that all the time... They're like soccer moms, maybe even worse."

Chaewon laughed. "Is that why you don't like your parents?"

"What? No, I love them. My moms mean everything to me. But sometimes I feel like they make me do things because it makes _them_ happy, not me," Hyejoo said. "Almost every school activity they made me do was involuntary and I hated it."

"Did you tell them that?" Chaewon asked, eyes softening. She was always good at listening, and if she had to give Hyejoo advice, then she was good at that, too.

"No. I didn't want to make them sad," Hyejoo laughed. Chaewon didn't have to know Hyejoo that well to know that the laugh was forced. Something to make Chaewon feel better about her situation. Hyejoo looked into Chaewon's eyes. Chaewon saw how her brows were lowered and the end and heightened at the insides, making her puppy eyes gleam by the light easily making its way into them. She didn't look sad, just... Chaewon couldn't put a word to it. She felt her heart sink a little for her.

Hyejoo continued after moving her gaze to rest on the grass, "And my grandma... She loved seeing me out and about." Hyejoo smiled, like the sentence brought back fond memories. Chaewon wondered how it felt like for someone to be only a memory instead of a presence. "She went to all of my events. She looked so happy every time I was at the center." She paused for a minute.

"We'd go out to celebrate after sometimes. Especially after dance recitals. And whenever I talked to her about the things I actually wanted to do in life, it felt like she was my only supporter. I know that's not true, though." Hyejoo looked at Chaewon for a second, and Chaewon almost gasped for reasons she couldn't explain. Hyejoo was another kind of ethereal. Hyejoo looked back at the grass shortly after. It was like she couldn't talk when she was looking at Chaewon. "I really do miss her. She was fun to have around. I didn't get to see her much before she... yeah."

Chaewon found herself frowning, feeling sympathy for the girl in front of her. She wanted to hold her hand and tell her that things get better, but she didn't know if that would be overstepping. She let the silence fill in the moment, letting the silent breeze blow through their hair, letting the large cloud covering the sun move away and brighten the world again, letting the two of them watch the environment.

"I've already told you this, but I'm here for you. I'm not sure exactly what to say, but I'm here whenever you need me," Chaewon said, a small, friendly smile on her face. She looked at Hyejoo, and Hyejoo looked at her. Her smile grew a little more. "That's what friends are for."

Watching Hyejoo's smile grow was the highlight of Chaewon's day.

Something suddenly lit up in Hyejoo's eyes, like she remembered something, and she began digging through her pocket. Before Chaewon could ask, Hyejoo was holding out a plastic bag containing a cookie.

"Oh!" Chaewon said in surprise. _Aww_ , she wanted to say, but she didn't want to sound weird. "For me?" she asked.

Hyejoo nodded, a bright smile on her face. The kind that Chaewon wanted to see her wear all the time. Gosh, why was she so obsessed with her smile?

Chaewon took the bag from Hyejoo and opened it. Something about that gesture was so adorable. Giving a cookie to a newfound friend. It's something you'd do in elementary school... but it's so cute. She grinned at Hyejoo after looking at the cookie.

"Thank you, I love chocolate chip," Chaewon said through her laugh. It was like Hyejoo was stuck in a trance, that happy look on her face until some sort of registration hit her as Chaewon moved to take a bite of the cookie.

"It's actually—"

She took a bite, letting the flavor that was most certainly not chocolate chip invade her taste buds.

"...raisin," Hyejoo finished.

Chaewon's wide eyes stared at Hyejoo for a few seconds before she broke out in a huge, stupid grin at Hyejoo's fit of laughter. She swallowed what was in her mouth before joining Hyejoo, letting their laughter ring through the air like an ensemble of bells to the sweetest song.

\---

It was much quieter on the cliff at night. Chaewon had left when the sun was almost entirely sunken from the sky, needing to rely on the bit of light left to walk home quickly. They said goodbye and promised to meet again soon. Hyejoo, somehow, can still feel her heart swell, despite the girl not being near her anymore.

Hyejoo laid on the grass, her knees bent at the edge of the cliff so her feet could sway freely. She had her eyes closed for the past few minutes, soaking in the environment without her vision. A subtle breeze ran through the air every now and then, making her face scrunch up as her hair blew into it and tickled her cheek. She heard the constant chirping of crickets and maybe the croaks of a frog around her. Though she was kicking her legs slowly in the air, she felt unmoving against the rest of the world. She felt like she was in a painting, where the focus was on the night sky and how it colored everything so dull yet illuminated everything so beautifully.

When Hyejoo opened her eyes again, she looked straight to the stars. Glowing vibrantly, no one star stood out more than another. Each one fit perfectly in place. None made to outshine and distract from the others; all cooperating instead to make a wonderful starry sky. She could take a picture of it, just to remember the day and how her heart felt so happy, but she knows that the memory is best kept where she can feel it now: in her heart.

Hyejoo took her arm out from beneath her head and stuck it up to the sky, as if she was trying to grab one of the stars. She remembered hearing about how humans are made up of star dust. It's cool. She thinks that being made up of things that you can see lightyears away is neat.

Her loose sleeve rolls down her arm as it sticks up in the air, revealing it to the cool night air. Hyejoo paused when she noticed her wrist— her soulmate mark— glowing. Lighting up. Shining as if it were one of the constellations.

She shot up immediately, sitting up straight and observing her wrist with wide eyes. The light on her wrist faded away, and she was left staring stupidly at her wrist for endless minutes, trying to wrap her head around what happened. She held it up to the sky again, wondering if it would light up again. She squeezed her wrist as if something would come out, like she had an infection. She felt her heart beat rapidly in her chest, so unlike the peaceful rhythm it adopted when she was reflecting on her day with Chaewon.

Placing a hand over her heart, Hyejoo released a shaky breath. She leaned back to look at the sky for only a second before running home as fast as her feet could manage.

\---

"Shit!" Chaewon exclaimed, jumping away from the window. She had just been leaning on her windowsill, staring into the sky when she saw her wrist light up in her peripheral. Shocked wasn't even a strong enough word. What the fuck was going on beneath her skin?

She couldn't tell anyone. God, what was she going to do? She walked around her room, chewing on her nails, brows lifted at the top in worry. There was no way that whatever just happened was healthy. She was dying, for sure. She had to be. She looked back out the window. Oh, god, did she eat something radioactive? Fuck, did Hyejoo poison her with that raisin cookie?

Her soulmate mark flickered with light once again, which made Chaewon slap her wrist violently and keep her hand pressed down on it. She sat on her bed, unable to keep herself standing any longer, and stared at the wall. What was happening? She didn't know what to do from there. Her parents would never believe her.

Her door swung open, her mom peeking her head in and smiling at Chaewon. "Hi, baby," her mom said.

Chaewon swallowed down her fear just for a moment. "Hi Mom," she replied, quieter than her usual voice.

Her mom looked around her room and then back at her, with Chaewon sat on the bed waiting for her to leave.

"Well, goodnight," she said, closing the door before Chaewon could say it back.

Chaewon inhaled as deep as she could, holding the breath in her lungs for a few seconds before releasing it. Maybe this is normal. It's her soulmate mark, it can't be anything bad, right?

...Right?

\---

Hyejoo wished there was a manual on how to confront your parents with your possible medical problems. But, due to the lack of one, all she wanted was for no one to be in her way to stop her from running to her room to cry.

Of course, she didn't live in a perfect world, so the first thing she heard when she got home was her mother's worried voice:

"Hyejoo? What's wrong?" Jennie asked, eyebrows lifting in concern and standing up from where she was sat at the dining table. Joohyun stared at her as well, the worry in her eyes evident.

Hyejoo kept walking, not willing to talk about it with her parents. Her mom continued following Hyejoo down the hall, though, and knocked on her bedroom door when Hyejoo closed it before she could squeeze in. Hyejoo stood with her back against the door with all her force in case her mom tried to come in.

"What's wrong, Hyejoo?" her mom asked again. Hyejoo inhaled sharply through her tears.

"There's something wrong with my wrist! It's lighting up!" Hyejoo exclaimed.

Jennie was quiet for a few seconds. "Oh, Hyejoo..."

"Please, just go away!" Hyejoo cried.

"Can we talk?" Her voice was quiet and kind, and Hyejoo appreciated that she was trying, but the last thing she wanted to do in that moment was talk.

"Not right now. Let me sleep," Hyejoo said. She waited for a minute to see if her mom was going to keep talking, but she heard nothing. She released her breath as she laid herself on her bed, squeezing her pillow against her chest, wrapping her limbs around it. Like that, she waited for sleep to overtake her.

\---

Jennie sighed as she approached her wife. Joohyun looked up at her with wide, worried eyes, and Jennie sat back in her chair next to her before she started.

"It's her wrist," Jennie explained. "It lit up."

Joohyun gasped. The couple shared a sad look with each other until they began to cry. Joohyun held Jennie against her chest until their tears stopped, which took less than a minute.

When Jennie pulled away, wiping her tears, she shook her head. "Can you believe it?" she asked. She still wore a frown. "Our little girl."

"It was going to happen eventually," Joohyun said, voice quiet. She hugged Jennie's waist, and Jennie couldn't help but to lean into her touch.

"Yeah, but... she was the last one. We don't have any little ones anymore."

"Of course we do," Joohyun laughed. "It's good for them to find their soulmate. Remember how scared we were when ours lit up? Imagine how she feels."

Jennie nodded. "I know. I wanted to talk to her, but she said no."

"They're still our girls, the only thing now is that they've all found the one for them," Joohyun explained, smiling. "They're grown up."

Jennie said nothing for a few seconds as she giggled. "It's kind of weird that Yerim didn't tell Hyejoo anything about her wrist lighting up when it happened to her, right?"

"You're not supposed to tell anyone. She knew what would happen if she told Hyejoo."

"That's just a superstition," Jennie said. "You really believe that you'll never find your soulmate if someone tells you about the mark lighting up?"

"Yeah, it's happened to plenty of people," Joohyun answered.

"Those people probably just never met their soulmate. After you know about the light thing, I think it's all that you'd wait for in life."

"Maybe," Joohyun said. "But hey, let's just be happy that all our daughters have a soulmate."

Jennie laughed, a smile replacing the frown that was once there. "Yeah."

A silence followed, thick but comfortable, as the wives leaned against each other with smiles on their faces. It was odd, feeling the last child that was completely yours become someone else's as well. It wasn't like Hyejoo knew what was going on, though. Someone would have to tell her eventually.

"I wonder who her soulmate is," Joohyun mumbled.

Jennie thought for a moment. "A nice, pretty girl. Someone who complements Hyejoo well."

Joohyun laughed, causing Jennie to lean away from Joohyun and look at her. She raised her eyebrow in question, waiting for Joohyun's explanation for her fit of laughter.

"What would you do if it was a boy?" she asked through her laugh.

Jennie rolled her eyes. "It's not."

Joohyun only laughed harder. "No, imagine..."

"I don't want to imagine," Jennie sighed. She crossed her arms and looked down.

"Hey, don't worry," Joohyun said, still giggling every now and then. "I know, there's no way she'd be soulmates with a guy."

Jennie nodded. She looked back at Joohyun and couldn't help the smile starting to take over her face.

Joohyun started again, "I'm sure we'll love her soulmate."

Jennie nodded and leaned on Joohyun's shoulder again. She wondered if she already knew who Hyejoo's soulmate was, or if she's never seen her in her life. Is she close to Hyejoo? Did they have their first conversation today? Days ago? Years ago?

Jennie gasped. She turned to look Joohyun in the eye. "What if it's the person Hyejoo's been hanging out with for these past days?"

\---

It seemed sleep would be impossible tonight. No matter what position Hyejoo laid in, nothing felt cozy enough to sleep, felt comforting enough to ease her worries. She ended up closing her eyes and letting herself think freely, but it just so happens that Hyejoo was out of brain fuel for the night. She just couldn't think.

Sighing, Hyejoo reached over for her phone, unlocking it and immediately opening Twitter. She scrolled through her notifications, seeing nothing interesting and no funny replies to her very funny tweets. The world doesn't deserve her sense of humor for free.

Nothing new was happening with her idol, her icon, Nicki Minaj, so she, again, was met with complete boredom. Closing Twitter, Hyejoo stared at her home screen for a few seconds before her eyes fell on her message app.

Maybe she should talk to Chaewon.

_Hyejoo: hiii_

...Does that sound weird? Hyejoo groaned, it's too late to delete it.

Surprisingly enough, Hyejoo is met with a reply within a minute.

_Chaewon: Hi Hyejoo_

Hyejoo grinned, fingers fluttering across her screen as she types her response. Why do these simple things make her feel so happy?

_Hyejoo: i wanted to sleep but i literally can't so with no hope left i texted u lol_

_Chaewon: Yeah I can't sleep either :/_

_Chaewon: But at least I have someone to talk to now hehe_

(Hyejoo keeps the thought of how cute she sounded to herself.)

_Hyejoo: yeah_

_Hyejoo: did ur brother bother u when u got home?_

_Chaewon: Haha no thank goodness_

_Hyejoo: damn that's a shocker_

_Hyejoo: i hear he's normally a brat lmao_

_Chaewon: Well you got that right..._

_Chaewon: A PAIN IN THE ASS_

Hyejoo laughed. Her fingers hovered over her phone for a few seconds, wondering how to keep the conversation going.

_Hyejoo: u said living with a toddler can be fun too tho_

_Chaewon: There are times when it's tolerable_

_Hyejoo: like..?_

_Chaewon: Like when he doesn't scream and hit me_

_Chaewon: Lol but actually just like, being able to be childish_

_Chaewon: Like I said before, being a child is way better than being an adult. Is that stupid?_

_Hyejoo: that's not stupid_

_Hyejoo: i'm always childish so we can be childish together,,, lol_

_Chaewon: "Oh pick me Chaewon pick me I'm childish too"_

_Hyejoo: STFU_

_Hyejoo: WTFFF U ARE SICK IN THE HEAD_

_Chaewon: Lmao I'm just kidding_

_Hyejoo: literally crying_

_Chaewon: Tears of joy... Ik I'm really funny_

_Hyejoo: no tears of disgust_

_Hyejoo: u thinking i'm a pick me FOR U OF ALL PEOPLE_

_Chaewon: Are we already in enemy stage_

_Hyejoo: do u wanna be?_

_Chaewon: Noooo_

_Hyejoo: okay fine lol_

_Chaewon: How come there's like no such thing as a lesbian pick me girl_

_Hyejoo: no there definitely is_

_Chaewon: I've never seen one_

_Hyejoo: maybe it's because u are one_

_Chaewon: No... never_

_Hyejoo: idk chae maybe u are_

_Chaewon: Lol what's up with the nickname_

Hyejoo's heart dropped at that text. She didn't even realize she called her Chae instead of Chaewon. Maybe Chaewon thought it was weird. Hyejoo hurried to type out an apology, but Chaewon typed again before she could finish.

_Chaewon: Just kidding I don't mind_

_Chaewon: I know it's really late but do you wanna meet up rn?_

Hyejoo stared at the text for a minute. Yes, of course she did. She looked outside through her window. She wasn't allowed to leave the house this late.

It's a good thing she's a master at sneaking out.

_Hyejoo: i'll meet u at the cliff in like fifteen minutes_

_Chaewon: I'll see you there_

It was as if Hyejoo was never upset earlier, because all she feels right now is her happiness. She doesn't remember being this happy when sneaking out to meet her other friends. It's different with Chaewon.

_She must be a really good friend._ Hyejoo smiles when she thinks about it.

As Hyejoo opened her window, she heard her door open behind her. Twisting her body quicker than she could manage (resulting in a temporary pain in her back and neck), Hyejoo met Yerim's stare with large, fearful eyes. Hyejoo laughed, except it wasn't humorous; the laugh was nervous, something to fill the awkward air.

Slowly, Yerim closed the door behind her, crossing her arms. She could barely be seen in the dark, but somehow Hyejoo knew how she must look: very suspicious.

"Hi," Hyejoo greeted, whispering.

"What are you doing..?" Yerim asked.

"Please don't tell Mom," she begged.

"...Hyejoo," Yerim said carefully, squinting.

Hyejoo sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come on." She tried giving Yerim a nasty look, but Yerim probably couldn't see it in the dark. "You're gonna act like you don't know what's going on?"

Yerim was silent for a few seconds. "I won't tell Mom IF... you bring me back some chips."

Hyejoo blinked. Huh. She knew this would be easy— really, Yerim, of all people, wouldn't care about Hyejoo's midnight whereabouts— but of course, it was with a price. Although she'd never given into Yerim's deals before, now was different. She thought about it for a moment before relenting.

"Give me my wallet," Hyejoo sighed. Yerim grabbed the wallet from Hyejoo's desk, which she could only see due to the moonlight shining right on the desk, and handed it to Hyejoo. "Thanks."

Yerim opened the door to leave, but before departing, said, "Remember, I'm telling Mom if you don't bring me back chips."

Hyejoo nodded and waited for Yerim to close her door to make her escape. For some reason, though, she didn't leave.

"What?" Hyejoo asked.

"I just wanted to ask if you were the one who clogged the toilet," Yerim said.

"God, what? No!" Hyejoo exclaimed. She scrunched you her face in disgust. "Go ask Hyunjin, I haven't even used the bathroom recently."

Yerim laughed. "Okay. Bye-bye, have fun with your girlfriend!"

"Not my girlfriend!" Hyejoo added, but Yerim left too soon. Groaning, Hyejoo turned back to face the open window. She tucked her wallet into her pocket and left out the window. Thankfully she had a one-story house, so she didn't have to jump a great height to sneak out.

\---

"What happened to meeting me in fifteen minutes, Hyejoo?" Chaewon asked with a laugh. She actually didn't mind, though. She stood there waiting for Hyejoo by the cliff for what was definitely longer than fifteen minutes, but it all became worth it when Hyejoo arrived. Chaewon was smiling as Hyejoo jogged over to where she stood.

"My sister stopped me," Hyejoo explained, clearly out of breath. Chaewon laughed when she noticed how winded Hyejoo was. She must've been in a rush to get to the cliff and see her. Something in Chaewon's chest warms at the thought.

"For what reason?" Chaewon asked, grinning. She looked up at Hyejoo, who was fixing her hair. Chaewon sort of liked it when it was messy.

"Caught me trying to sneak out. Now I have to buy her chips," Hyejoo explained. She pulled out her wallet and showed it to Chaewon.

"Ah," Chaewon emitted in understanding while nodding. "Well, let's go to the store now. It'll save you some time."

"Alright," Hyejoo agreed. They began walking side by side. The roads were empty, and, in a way, the world felt like it was only theirs. In that moment, it sort of was. They had a small chunk of the world to only themselves, sharing a moment no one else would have.

"How'd your sister let you get away so easily?" Chaewon asked. She looked at the ground they walked on, noticing how their steps were synchronized.

"She's easygoing. Well, most of the time," Hyejoo answered. "She's just too nice to ruin my mood."

"It's so weird to think a sibling can be described as nice," Chaewon said, giggling. "You'd normally hear words like annoying or mean when talking about siblings."

"Yup. Yerim is just a nice person though. But she can definitely be annoying..."

"How so?" Chaewon asked.

"Like how any sister would be." They turned a corner and the street was more illuminated as they neared where all the stores were. Lights from street lamps and store signs helped the pair see each other and the road better.

"I don't have any sisters so I wouldn't know. But I mean I could guess," Chaewon said.

"Yeah. I'm actually glad I don't have a brother. I'm not sure how he'd put up with my misandrist agenda."

Chaewon laughed, "My brother's still so young, maybe I can raise him under the misandrist agenda."

Hyejoo smiled and looked at Chaewon. "I mean, you could try."

"Can men be misandrists?" Chaewon wondered aloud.

"Hm. I mean... maybe?" Hyejoo tried answering. "I guess if they really hate men."

"Would you ever accept men into your misandrist agenda?"

Hyejoo laughed, "Depends. Maybe your brother, but that's only if I teach him misandry."

"You think you could teach him better than me?" Chaewon asked.

"Oh for sure," Hyejoo answered. "I grew up my entire life surrounded by women. Like, no men at all. So there is not a single man on earth that I hold near and dear to me."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you had two moms," Chaewon commented.

"Yeah and it's way better than having one mom and one dad."

"I mean, I'm not gonna deny that, especially considering my future children will have two moms," Chaewon said.

"You want kids when you're older?" Hyejoo asked.

"You don't?" Chaewon asked back. They arrived at the store and Chaewon grabbed a basket.

"We don't need a basket, we're only getting chips," Hyejoo said.

"But I want a snack too," Chaewon said with a pout. Hyejoo tried to give Chaewon a stern look, but she ended up smiling like a fool. Chaewon grinned when she saw Hyejoo's resolve break. "See? Hyejoo care me."

"Hyejoo care you," Hyejoo confirmed, laughing. She patted Chaewon's arm twice. "Okay, lets go to the snack aisle."

"Okay," Chaewon agreed, following Hyejoo as she walked into the snack aisle. Hyejoo looked around at all the selection of chips, wondering which kind Yerim would want. She heard Chaewon's footsteps stray away from her, towards the end of the aisle. Hyejoo turned her head towards Chaewon to check up on her, finding her on her tiptoes grabbing strawberry Pocky. Hyejoo laughed, making Chaewon look over. Chaewon stuck her tongue out at Hyejoo, a gesture which Hyejoo returned.

Looking back at the variety of chips in front of her, Hyejoo hummed in thought. She grabbed hot chips for Yerim, something she would never complain about, and walked toward Chaewon, who held the basket on her arm. Hyejoo dropped Yerim's chips in the basket.

"Are we ready to check out?" Hyejoo asked. Chaewon dropped two Pocky packs in the basket, both strawberry flavored.

"I'm ready if you are," Chaewon said.

"Are you paying for your Pocky?" Hyejoo inquired with a laugh.

Chaewon's jaw dropped in faux shock. "That's not very chivalrous of you." She pouted at Hyejoo, a sight that Hyejoo couldn't help but smile at. Something about the sight made her feel so warm and nice. She'd like to feel those feelings forever.

"Okay," Hyejoo relented with a quick pat on Chaewon's head. "Only to prove that I'm very _chivalrous."_

Chaewon laughed, following behind Hyejoo as she started walking towards the check out. "Do you even know that word?"

"Yes," Hyejoo confirmed. "Means I'm good with the ladies." She looked back at Chaewon with a cocky grin. "Aren't I?"

"You're too much, Hyejoo," Chaewon said, shaking her head. Hyejoo noted the pink flush on her cheeks as she said that.

\---

With a grocery bag in hand, which contained Yerim's chips and Chaewon's Pocky, the two girls strolled around the town. The lights offered plenty illumination for the two to see where they were going. Chaewon liked to think that they lived in a nice city, where there wasn't too many people that it'd be crowded no matter the time of day, but populated enough for there to be many things to do. And while the city offered plentiful activities, there are some Chaewon finds herself liking more than others. Walking alone in the middle of the night with Hyejoo sits high on that list.

As they walk further from the stores and closer to Chaewon's house, Chaewon can't help but to reach over and hold the sleeve of Hyejoo's jacket. Of course, Hyejoo noticed immediately, looking down at Chaewon's hand. Chaewon watched Hyejoo's face as a small smile quickly formed.

"What's this?" Hyejoo asked, a playful lilt in her voice.

Chaewon felt her face heat up— _thank god it was dark out_ — as she slipped her hand off of Hyejoo's jacket. "I dunno."

Hyejoo laughed. Chaewon didn't know if she felt embarrassed or happy. Really, it was a mix of both.

"It's okay," Hyejoo said, voice quieter than it was earlier. "You can— you can hold my hand. If you want." Chaewon could hear the bashfulness in her voice. She laughed at that.

"Aw, Hyejoo wants me to hold her hand~" Chaewon cooed teasingly. Slowly, hesitant, she let her fingers wrap around Hyejoo's. Her hand was bigger and warmer than hers, heating up her cold hands.

Silence filled the air for a moment, quickly becoming more awkward the longer it sat around them. Chaewon could feel herself blush from her face down to her neck, surely looking stupid and goofy. For the millionth time, she thanks the universe that it was dark enough for Hyejoo to not notice.

"D-do you normally hold your friends' hands?" Chaewon asked, fighting desperately at the urge to slap herself after letting the stuttered, dumb question slip out. Her body ran on autopilot, spewing out the first thing that came to mind to break the silence.

"Hm?" Hyejoo hummed.

"Nothing," Chaewon dismissed, shaking her head. She looked forward at where they were heading, noticing that they were already near her street.

"Which way do we turn from here?" Hyejoo asked, looking down at Chaewon. Chaewon met her eyes, which seemed to sparkle even in the dark.

"This way," Chaewon answered, pointing in the questioned direction. Hyejoo nodded, continuing her path to Chaewon's house. As silence filled the air again, Chaewon fought away every urge to say something to shoo away the awkwardness, knowing she'd only make it weirder. She learned to accept the silence just as they reached her house.

Hyejoo's hand slipped out of Chaewon's, and already, Chaewon missed the warmth. Hyejoo turned to face Chaewon completely, looking at her and then at her house.

"There you go," Hyejoo said, a small laugh accompanying the words. Chaewon thought briefly about how nice it sounded.

"Thanks," Chaewon said. "We'll meet again soon?"

"Of course," Hyejoo accepted. She raised her hand, much to Chaewon's confusion, before sticking out her pinky. Chaewon stared at it for a second. "I promise."

Chaewon met Hyejoo's eyes and knew that this moment would be one replaying in her head for the rest of the week. She intertwined her pinky with Hyejoo's, holding it there for a few seconds before releasing. "Promise," she repeated in a whisper. The night was still around them. They were the world.

Chaewon broke the moment only because she had to, knowing if she didn't return to her room soon she'd be in huge trouble. Not from her parents. More from the perplexing beating in her chest. Even as she entered her house, even as she laid on her bed, even as she shut her eyes and tried to fall asleep, her heart would not give up.

Oh, she was in trouble.

\---

Yerim knew something fishy was happening.

She woke up with a bag of spicy chips next to her, and as she chomped away at them, she stared blankly at the wall, thinking. The hot flavor on her tongue wasn't as painful as usual when she was so occupied in her thoughts.

She had known since last night. Hyejoo never pleads Yerim to allow her to sneak out. She's never that caring of their parents knowing her midnight whereabouts... _until now._

_Have fun with your girlfriend_ , she had said. And judging by Hyejoo's quick denial...

Surely. Surely...

"No... that doesn't make sense," Yerim whispered to an audience of absolutely nobody. "She's terrible with girls."

So what was it?

Perhaps she likes someone. Has a bit of a crush. There's nothing else that makes sense in Yerim's mind. Hyejoo doesn't do illegal things. _Or maybe she would_ , she rethinks, _Grandma's death hit her pretty hard_. Maybe she should talk to her, after thinking about it.

Yerim stood up, bringing her chip bag with her as she walked to her desk, checking Hyejoo's Twitter account for any posts. She should've expected the fourteen retweets of Nicki Minaj photos and achievements she received instead of answers. Groaning, she supposed she had to find another way.

No matter what, she will get to the bottom of this. And when she finds out whoever her sister is crushing on— Yerim is 99% sure this is the case— she'll help them get together.

She laughed to herself, part evil schemer, part anticipation and excitement. God, if only she could be her own sister. She really is the best!

\---

"Okay, what is the point of this?" Hyejoo asked. She was currently sat at Yerim's desk with a lamp shining on her face despite the broad daylight.

"I am investigating." Yerim walked around the desk, fixing Hyejoo with a suspicious glare.

"Will this take long?" Hyejoo groaned, head dropping to the table.

"Yes. Who did you see last night?" Yerim asked, getting to the deets immediately.

Hyejoo pushes her head off of the desk and glared at Yerim. "Why is this important information?"

"You want me to help you with your love life, correct?" Yerim asked. She pointed to the sticky note on her chest that said "Love Doctor".

Hyejoo stared straight faced at her sister. "You are so corny."

"Fine, be a loner then," Yerim said, turning away from Hyejoo and crossing her arms.

"So can I go now?" Hyejoo asked.

"Absolutely not!" Yerim exclaimed grabbing the desk lamp and shoving it into Hyejoo's face.

"What the fu—?!"

"WHO IS IT??"

"Get that out of my face!" Hyejoo demanded, pushing the light away. She opened and closed her eyes a few times until the after flashes disappeared. "Something is seriously wrong with you."

"You too," Yerim said. She scribbled down something in her notebook before turning it to Hyejoo. "This is your diagnosis." The paper calls her a Lovesick Loser.

"What on Earth makes you think I'm in love?" Hyejoo asked.

Finally, with a sigh, Yerim gives up. She shut off the lamp and sat on the desk. "Just come to me when you desperately need help getting the girl."

Hyejoo rolled her eyes. "There's no girl."

Yerim pushed herself off the desk and jumped onto her bed. "Sure thing. Go on, live your life. I'm sure there's more important people for you to be seeing right now."

Hyejoo laughed, and before she could respond, Hyunjin barged into the room, leaning on the door frame.

"Wanna come to work with me today?" she asked, eyes flickering between each sister.

"Not unless I'm getting paid," Hyejoo joked.

"Free unlimited drinks," Hyunjin bargained.

"When are we leaving?" Yerim bounced up immediately, grinning wide. Hyejoo perked up at the offer as well, which is how she found herself at a table in the corner of a small coffee shop, sitting across from Yerim, who was on her phone the entire time, sipping an iced americano (Hyunjin's choice).

"Wah, this is her?"

Hyejoo looked up from her phone, confused at the sight of the familiar face. Where has she seen this girl before..? The girl's smile is beaming, surely it could light up the darkest room. Her hands were clasped together in joy, and her happiness proved to be contagious as Hyejoo found herself smiling.

"She's so cute!" she blurted, reaching out to pat her head. "Wow, everyone in your family is so cute!" she told Hyunjin, who stood next to her.

"Thanks," Hyunjin laughed. "Not as cute as you and Sooyoung, though."

_Jiwoo_ , Hyejoo recalled; Hyunjin talked about her a few times. She really is the most adorable person ever. Someone you just want to squeeze and coddle upon seeing.

"Hi," Hyejoo greeted, offering her hand.

Instead of shaking her hand, Jiwoo enveloped Hyejoo in the best hug she's ever received. She held both of Hyejoo's hands as she let go, looking into her eyes. She had the most wonderful aura, so welcoming and sweet. She seemed like the most cheerful girl Hyejoo had ever met, competing with even the ball of sunshine that is Yerim.

"Hyejoo, you are very cool! I like your style," she said, the smile never leaving her face.

"Ah, thank you," Hyejoo laughed, shy.

Another woman came over, who Hyejoo identified as Sooyoung, confirmed when the woman wrapped her arms around Jiwoo's waist.

"We have work to do, Jiwoo," Sooyoung reminded her fiancée.

"Right," Jiwoo said. She released Hyejoo's hands and waved her goodbye. "Hyejoo, it was nice meeting you!"

Hyejoo bowed her head. "Yes, you too." Both women left to return behind the counter, cleaning some things as they waited for another customer. Today seemed to be slow for business.

Hyunjin forced Yerim to move in her seat to fit Hyunjin in the booth with her. "Hey you two," she greeted, smiling. "How's the drink?"

"Good!" Yerim beamed at the same time Hyejoo said, "Bitter."

"Bitter?" Hyunjin asked.

"Yeah," Hyejoo answered.

"It's much less bitter than coffee."

"You underestimate how much cream and sugar I put in my coffee."

Hyunjin nodded. "Okay, fair. So, what are your thoughts on Jiwoo?"

"Super adorable," Hyejoo responded quickly. "She seems like a good person."

"She really is," Hyunjin confirmed. "Sooyoung too. They're both great."

"Super in love," Hyejoo pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. _Super_ in love."

Yerim laughed. "Hyejoo knows the feeling."

"Not true at all," Hyejoo denied. "I'm not even dating anyone."

"I'm on a mission to get Hyejoo a girlfriend. Specifically the one she's been fawning over for however long it was," Yerim explained to Hyunjin.

"Ugh," Hyejoo groaned, shaking her head as she rested her forehead in her palm. "You give me a headache."

"You'd be lost without me," Yerim added.

Hyejoo groaned yet again.

"So what's the plan?" Hyunjin asked Yerim.

Yerim laughed. "Plan?" She shook her head, waving a hand in the air dismissively. "All I need is a confession and a date when Miss Lovergirl is up for some fun."

Hyejoo decides then and there to walk back home and get as far away from those psychos as possible. At least at home, she has enough peace and quiet to think about Chaewon.


End file.
